Strange Case of Dr Neutron and Jimmy Boy Genius
by Lady Arabella Malfoy
Summary: Cindy leaves Retroville, telling her friends nothing. Years later she transfers to university with Pf. Neutron as a substitute teacher. She approaches him, but he shows no signs of recognizing her. And why does he have a girlfriend with Cindy's face?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:Hello everybody! I have finally created the fic I was so longing for! This idea has been sitting inside for two years and now it is finally for you read and to judge.**

**I advise you to pay specail attention to chapters' titles, because they actually have some structure, and the froms of address to the characters, by the author and the character themselves. The fic title itself is taken from a classical story, if you guess what it is, you will understnad a lot about the conflict of this fic.**

**Disclaimer: Jimmy Neutron's genius belongs to Nickolodeon. Also the idea of Jimmy teaching Cindy and having to memories was first used by ****Kaze-no-Tenshi89 in „Do you remeber me?" However I will be using the conception in a whole new perspective.**

**Strange Case of Dr James Neutron and Jimmy Boy Genius**

**by Lady Arabella Malfoy**

**Part I: Pygmalion of the XXI century**

**Chapter One: Gone**

"How could she?! How could she just leave? Without telling anyone? Saying nothing at all! Aren't we her friends? People she confides into, trusts, cares for? Doesn't she know that we worry about her? Just some lousy note to Libby with ten words and not even a good bye! You praise yourself so much for being smart, how could you act so stupid then?

You left and I hadn't told you… What I think about you… But no more! No more pain, confusion and hesitance."

A set of dozen of test tubes found themselves on the floor in a flash. They were soon followed by microchips that couldn't be found in any electronic shop on the planet. But they meant nothing to their inventor. He was finally completing the experiment which was the only one left unfinished in his short but full scientific life. Why didn't he complete it in the first place? Found out that it had been late already?

The now long fingers of a fourteen-year-old made exact movements to concoct a potion – the ultimate medicine for a broken heart. He didn't need to make experiments or control the ingredients' effects, the youngster remembered the recipe back from the years of crazy childhood. If only he had used it earlier, then there wouldn't have been that pain in his chest at that moment. Pain… He was never been able to make a device or a serum to control pain, even physical. Hm, an interesting idea… But with this invention there will be no pain, no feelings, absolutely nothing. An ingenious idea…

Jimmy Neutron was never considered a normal teenager. His peers were sneaking out at night to parties to do who knows what, were going on dates and had no care in the world. Jimmy however was running around with this glorious invention or another, saving the world from time to time. He was not antisocial per se, but he resembled more and more a mad scientist since the day Cindy Vortex left Retroville for good.

……………

_~ Eight years later ~_

"I can't believe this! Why oh why did I enter this university? Whenever a professor is ill, nobody cancels the lecture!"

"Hm?"

"Are you even listening, Cindy? Do you ever get your nose out of a book?"

"Every day you make me wonder, Michelle, about your decision to receive medical education. How have you managed so far is beyond my understanding, Michelle-the airhead."

"Common, don't you want to have some fun? You are young only once in a lifetime!" the chestnut haired girl squealed, jumping in front of Cindy and almost making the latter stumble into her.

"I will have my fun at the end of the semester. I transferred here for the sole purpose of learning to become a professional of high class. And something as trivial as 'fun' won't distract me. I am very glad about the fact that no lecture is spared because of the missing teacher. It is much easier to understand everything when somebody tells you instead of reading from a book."

"But at least you can reread the stuff in the book if you don't get it from the first time. But nobody will repeat it for you during a lecture."

"Well, I was lectured so many times during childhood that I kinda got used to it. Grabbing the point from the first time, I mean. What were you saying about lectures that are not cancelled?"

"Haven't you heard?! This is the major gossip of this university! The replacement professor and his assistant/partner/girlfriend who can conduct any lecture on any subject! Haven't you heard anything about them?!"

"I am not interested in gossip," Cindy spat, disgusted by the wild enthusiasm of her companion.

"Well, studying here you won't pass this one, ignore it or not. It is just a phenomenon on the university scale if not more."

"I understand that this professor must me not less than a genius to be able to teach everything," Cindy remarked, returning to the topic of studying process.

"Well, I heard he was. Certified and all. Professor Neutron that is."

Cindy's book fell down with a bang and slid several meters, but the young woman paid it no mind. Her thoughts, as well as her body, froze at the mention of the name longed to be forgotten. Thoughts, memories, arguments, accusations of him and herself span before her eyes in a storm of screams and flashes. How could it happen? Was world too small for the two of them?

"Neutron as in James Isaac Neutron?" Cindy finally squeezed out of herself.

"Wow, you know his full name? You know him or something?" Michelle asked, giving Cindy the book which she automatically put into her bag.

"Read a couple of articles," Cindy threw, speeding to the auditorium of her next lecture, but this time with another purpose entirely.

…………………

Even if Cindy was rather early there was no more unoccupied seats at the front of the auditorium, so she couldn't clearly see the face of the lecturer no matter how she tried. For the first time during her years of diligent studies she completely ignored the subject of the lecture. She was watching the man in front of the stands. Of course, he looked different. He was no longer a boy with scrawny body and huge head. He was a man in a lab coat – an outfit that looked as it was a second skin, it suited him so well. Slightly darkened hair was placed in a haircut a la Elvis. Even seeing it from afar Cindy had to admit that it had been a very good choice for a hairstyle.

Yes, his appearance had certainly changed, but the voice… Maybe slightly deeper, but Cindy could recognize that smart tone anywhere. After having the Neutrons as neighbors for several years, Cindy had to admit that there was actually something like a smart tone. Know-it-alls were not using that way of expressing their opinions, but people who were completely sure in the rightfulness of what they were saying and the listening party would believe them no matter how they resisted it. Of course, Cindy needed a visual confirmation, but she was already eighty percent sure that Jimmy Neutron was standing right in front of her. After all those years he was giving her another lecture and she couldn't say anything back to show how smart she was, because she was not. He was a professor for God's sake! In the end he did prove his point of being the smarter one.

But that certainly was not the fact that made Cindy's chest constrict and something braking inside her with every sound of the painfully familiar voice. All the regret and shame suppressed after her departure from Retroville resurfaced with new vigor. And she thought she'd moved on. Moved on and became a responsible adult. Forgot her childhood friends, at least tried to, made new ones, had very good perspectives to become a good and maybe even famous medical researcher. And now a simple meeting with her past, oh no with Jimmy Neutron it could be nothing less than a collision, and all her future plans are ruined.

But why so afraid? They are adults now and adults are very good at solving problems and avoidance as the last resort. The university was huge, what was the chance of them meeting face to face? On the other hand, curiosity was bringing her resolve to the dead bed. How did he look now? Were his eyes the same azure color? And how the others were doing? What happened to Libby? And those dump sidekicks Sheen and Carl? She was supposed to leave and forget, but it looked to be impossible with every passing moment.

Cindy briefly glanced at professor's assistant. There was nothing special about her, at least from this distance. She was blond, fairly young, with good figure. She also answered professor's every beck and call with incredible speed, as if she didn't even need to think and just knew what, where and when.

Cindy blinked, feeling Michelle shaking her by the sleeve. The lecture has ended.

"What universe were you, Cin?"

"So you know all the gossip of the university?" Cindy asked, sounding distant, her eyes following the professor and his assistant gathering papers from the table.

"Oh no!" Michelle cried panic stricken as if the end of the world was as near as the beginning of the next lecture. "Don't tell me that you've joined the club!"

"What club?"

"The girls' club of warming up the heart of the youngest professor in world history!" Michelle explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the current university, which it actually could be.

"But that's nonsense. If he has a girlfriend, his heart is obviously warm enough," Cindy retorted, but her interest was picked now.

"My God, you don't know the most important things around here!" Michelle exclaimed with an eye-roll.

"Exams' schedule?"

"Neutron's beloved blondie is a robot!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am extremely thankful for the warm welcome of the first chapter. That's why this time it's two chapters. Hopefully you will treat them as well as the first one.**

**Chapter Two: First Contact**

Come to think of it, it was not completely unbelievable. Jimmy Neutron had a robot for a dog, so why couldn't he have a robot for a girlfriend? The news should've not surprised Cindy Vortex in the least, especially if she was familiar with his past creations of Brobot and Supermum. The only problem was that she found the whole thing unnatural. As probably the rest of the staff and students. He could've built himself an assistant, but there was no need to name her his girlfriend, right? But if he did, it was presumed for her to have the same functions and that goes right in the creepy territory, at least.

Cindy was downright intrigued. Using her good social skills she collected all possible gossip material on Professor Neutron and his robotic girlfriend and with every piece of information she wanted to see her, it, whatever, by herself. She also understood, not without a shock, that practically the whole female population of the university admired Professor Neutron and not for his academic achievements or pedagogical skills.

So Cindy Vortex devised a strategy to follow the cause of Fate. She was not a fatalist by nature, but her appearing in this university was not a simple coincidence. So she decided to approach the young professor naturally – by means of assigned homework. She impatiently waited, even thinking to drug other professors so at least one of them would miss a lecture.

One day she finally succeeded. With completed assignment in hand, Cindy headed to the most rumored place on the campus – Professor Neutron's personal laboratory. It situated aside from other labs, obviously taking a lot of space on the inside. The outside was nothing particular except for a steel reinforced door with a big yellow sign on it which read, "Dear ladies, please remain behind the yellow line. This precaution is for your own good." Another smaller sign was above a glass orb that Cindy found quite familiar. The small tablet asked all visitors to press their IDs to the scanner, which Cindy did. There was a buzz on the scanner and then nothing for several minutes except for the message on the scanner: "Please wait."

The situation seemed very funny to Cindy. It looked more like she was entering Pentagon than a lab. Finally with a click the heavy door sled aside and Cindy entered the holy place for all scientists. A brief thought flashed across her mind, "For how long didn't Jimmy let her into his lab? Several years?"

Cindy wasn't mistaken about the lab's size – it was huge. And she was sure she was only seeing the small part that was allowed to be seen by outsiders. She wondered what the nonsense was about the yellow line, but then she saw it too clearly. A vivid yellow border stretched across the room, leaving at least three meters between the line and the counter.

"Miss Vortex, you came just in time. I was ready to add a reprimand to your file, but maybe you can explain yourself."

Cindy's head snapped to the right to face the source of the voice and lash out a not so polite response on instinct, but the words were stuck in her throat. Professor Neutron was not hot, as every female claimed to be, he was _gorgeous_. And the eyes were even of deeper blue color.

"Miss Vortex?"

Cindy snapped out of her petrified stupor, hearing a note of annoyance in the man's voice. "I don't know what I should be reprimanded about."

"You were spacing out on my lectures. I don't tolerate such attitude towards science. If you don't want to listen, then vacate your place for someone who wants to." The tone was not raised, but it was obvious that the words were meant to teach Cindy a lesson and put her in place, and show how incompetent she was. And he hasn't read her report yet!

The deeply bared sense of competition began to arise without her knowing. For several years she didn't need to prove anything to anybody, she was smart, beautiful and successful in every undertaking. There was only one person on the planet, who could ignite that kind of fire in her, and it was someone who was standing in front of her in a lab-coat and a clipboard in his hands considering her only as a minor distraction to his glorious work. She will show him! Cynthia Vortex will never submit to Jimmy Neutron – that was the law of the universe!

Managing to take her anger under control (her poor roommate Michelle will certainly endeavor it later), Cindy took out the folder with the reason for her coming. "The report that is due in a week," she stated flatly, but the challenge was still interlaced with her words, 'See, I managed to do it a week earlier and it is perfect, I can assure you.'

"You could've sent it by email, but since you are here personally, put it into the box with the name of the subject and you may leave. I advise you for the future to pay more attention on my lectures or that reprimand will be added to you file, and you certainly don't want to spoil such perfect file."

Before Cindy could respond she was already left alone in the room. She neared the rows of containers that lined one of the walls of the 'admittance hall'. There were at least fifty of them. '_He teaches so many subjects?_' she wondered certainly impressed. She pressed her ID to another scanner on the box with the subject she wrote the report for and a barcode sticker came out of the slot. Cindy put the sticker onto the file and pushed it into the box.

Was he tormenting her out of habit? But there was definitely not a sign of recognition on Neutron's part. But he couldn't just forget her, and especially her name. And was it a hint of admiration when he spoke of her file? Why did he check it in the first place?

……………..

"So tell me everything with details," Michelle ordered later that evening, when Cindy came to their room after studying in the library.

Cindy would've definitely used some Tai-Chi trick on her, if the library had not cooled her off a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"Your visit to Neutron's lab, what else?"

"How do you even know? Were you spying on me?"

"The gossip queen of the university, remember? That and the fact that we installed a surveillance camera so we see everyone who enters his lab."

"We as in?"

"Neutron's fan club of course!"

"Dear God," Cindy groaned, falling onto the bed. This was beyond belief - a fan club for Neutron boy genius. That scrawny, big headed, cone haired- Stop. He was nothing of that anymore. And there was no point to hide from herself that Cindy has been thinking of him differently more than a decade already. "And what does this club of yours do? Pester him wherever he goes? I doubt he leaves his precious lab for something that doesn't have science in it."

"Well, yeah, but he does have meals in the cafeteria with the overjealous girlfriend of his."

"Overjealous?"

"You saw the line in the lab right? That freaking robot attacks any female who is closer to him than three meters!"

"Attacks?!" Cindy even sat up from surprise. "Like physically?"

"She doesn't need to be physical beyond shoving you to the side. A broken shoulder is guaranteed. She is a robot for crying out loud! Inhuman strength is only the top of her endless list of qualifications."

"But what about the hallways? There are dozens of people there!"

"If he is with her, then there is no problem. And she follows him _everywhere_. They live together too somewhere in the lab. So you have absolutely no chance."

"What chance are you talking about?!" Cindy protested, but her body language spoke defensive with bright colors. And for Michelle, who was taking psychology as major, it was impossible to miss.

"I don't blame you, Cin. For a couple of months, I myself thought that I would not live if I didn't see him at least once a day, but it passed. It's pointless to try to melt an iceberg, especially when you realize how grant is the underwater part."

"I don't have any romantic interest in Jimmy Neutron, never had, never will," Cindy recited as if it was a mantra she often repeated to herself.

"_Jimmy_?" Michelle asked, curiosity written all over her face.

"Oh shut it," Cindy grunted, hiding her face in yet another medical research journal.

"You do understand that I will pest you about it till you tell me absolutely everything."

"I will request a room change first thing in the morning," Cindy responded evenly, but Michelle understood that her roommate would do exactly that to protect her secret.

………………

Several days later nothing has changed in the life of Cindy Vortex. Why should it? Yes, her childhood rival/friend didn't remember her and everything they shared, good or bad. So what? She had another life now, as did he, so why bother? She had her own share of boyfriends over the years. They were not bad per se, some were even quite romantic and sweet, but they were so DUMB! There was no way to have any intellectual conversation with them. She tried to date guys from her department, hoping that they were smart enough to maintain an interesting and challenging conversation. But her hopes were painfully shattered when Cindy understood how ambitious they all were. Of course, she herself wanted to make a discovery of the century, change the world of science, receive a Nobel and so forth, but she didn't brag about it all the time and to everybody in sight.

With thoughts about her previous relationships she was considering to go out to dinner with a nice looking guy who asked her out the day before when _that_ happened. To Cindy it could equal the discovery of the century. By _that_ was meant Cindy's sighting of the Neutrons, as the couple was jokingly named. It was the first time Cindy saw the robot that close. And the one she saw was herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Closer Examination**

"I am halfway through a very important experiment, so if you could be quick with whatever you want…"

Cindy hated to be dismissed and she didn't bother to hide it. "I made the appointment in advance, you should've cleared your schedule for this audience."

Professor Neutron's eyebrow rose in a silent question of her right to demand anything of him. He was way superior to her as a student and the diplomas on the wall proved it. "And this is so important because?"

"I want to talk to you about my final paper."

"Isn't it too early? You have at least two more years till graduation."

Cindy didn't ask how he knew. It was a problem of elementary math. "I want to be sure about the curator before I start anything."

Now both his eyebrows rose. Strangely no girl used that strategy to lure him in spending time with her, even if it was the most successful one. He didn't exactly have the right to deny her being the curator of her research. On the other hand, it must be something extraordinary for him to agree. So what did she have in store needing a genius to curate her work?

"And what is your research about?"

"Robotics integration with prosthesises."

"Ah. You want to make cyborgs out of human beings? Isn't this more for Sci-Fi books?"

"The victims don't have any other choice. The current prosthesis technology is as close to cyber as possible."

"And you want to take another step further," Neutron stated, sounding far from agreeable.

"I want people to be able to live their lives as comfortable as possible, with everybody having even rights and chances."

"Even if I agree to this, there is still one major problem – you must a have a test subject. And if you plan on operating on rabbits then you must find yourself a really good specialist in microelectronics which is not easy to find around here."

Cindy wanted to respond, but was interrupted by a woman who rushed into room from the lab. What struck Cindy was that absolutely nothing indicated she was not a human being. Her movements were agile and graceful enough not to raise any suspicion. She hurriedly neared Neutron and whispered something into his ear.

"Please, wait here for a bit, Miss Vortex, we will continue when I return."

Cindy smiled inwardly - he was hooked. She didn't smile openly, because the 'overjealous girlfriend' was regarding her very closely. She scanned Cindy with her glance from head to toe, and she probably did scan her. Robot's eyes were rarely made only for seeing.

Cindy in turn had another opportunity to examine her twin. After closer inspection came out that they were not exact twins. Yes, the robot's face was similar to Cindy's, but despite the blond hair which she wore in a loose bun and green eyes, other facial features were beautified to perfection. The face had exact symmetry and proportions. No real woman could be this beautiful, moreover she looked completely real. Not like other robots, who usually had masks for their faces. Cindy fought the urge to stretch out her hand and examine the material the skin was made of.

"Miss Vortex here," Neutron began, reappearing from the lab and brushing his hands onto the lab-coat that looked worse for wear. He obviously didn't care about how he looked in his inner world. "Has a very interesting proposition for us. She wants me to curate her research about robotics use in prosthesisology."

"You do know that I won't agree to it," came the voice of the girlfriend. It was far from artificial. A voice like any other female voice, may be slightly deeper than awaited from her appearance.

"Please, Aurora, rethink your decision. This can be very exciting. It can be a breakthrough in medicine."

"Then do it yourself. Oh, you already did when you started to create me and doomed it as impossible, that's why you created me from scratch instead of following the example of Doctor Frankenstein." With that said Aurora departed, leaving Neutron scratching the back of his head and Cindy gaping.

"Did you really attempt to revive the dead?" Cindy whispered.

"Of course not, it was more of a cloning attempt, but it was a failure. I am still thinking about your idea and will try to persuade Aurora. I will inform you sometime later."

"But can't you just… order her or reprogram her? She is just a robot after all."

"She is not," Neutron snapped, anger turning his eyes red. "She is a person, like the rest of us. Much better them some."

"Don't tell me she is AI," Cindy said softly, a tiny dose of fear creeping up her spine.

"Of course she is." 'She is my girlfriend after all' was left unsaid but was obvious.

"I will wait for your word. If the answer is negative, I will ask someone else," Cindy resoluted and left the most rumored place in the university. The only problem was that they both knew there was nobody better. Unbeknownst to them, they were not the only ones who thought so.

……………..

Cindy didn't have any ulterior motive to get the genius Professor Neutron to curate her research. Of course, it could be an excellent promo for her as a medical researcher. She definitely didn't have any personal interest in spending time with childhood friend, who DIDN'T remember her at all.

That was exactly what she said to Aurora, who requested to talk to her privately, not forgetting to put her hand on Cindy's shoulder (it must've weighed a ton!), and escorted her to an empty auditorium.

"I don't believe you, Miss Vortex. I must know exactly what you want with my James."

"I told you already!" Cindy replied exasperated.

"You are lying." It was a statement.

"You have a lying detector built in?"

"Of course."

"What man would give his girlfriend an opportunity to know when he lies?"

"A genius. James doesn't lie to me. It's mostly a precaution for such pests like you."

"Pests?! You think I am a pest?! You don't know me, otherwise you would've been very careful with words you are saying!" Oh yes, the famous Vortex's temper was at its peak.

"I know you. I know who you are and who you were. I know everything. Especially the part that you two went to the same school."

Cindy's jaw fell to the floor. That was unexpected. "But why? You did my background check before you could allow me to be nearer than three meters to your dear James?"

"It is a rare phenomenon to see a woman with a face similar to yours. Obviously it should've been investigated."

"Does Jimmy know about this investigation of yours?"

"Of course not. He doesn't know you too for that matter. Haven't you already asked yourself why he doesn't remember you? You - his main and best rival? Someone he was ready to go with to another end of the universe? I think you understand that it is not easy to live with the knowledge that you are a replacement, but I will, because I care for James as nobody else does."

Cindy Vortex was very good at hiding and denying her feelings as well as defending herself. She was also a skilled attacker, that's why she proceeded to do just that. "How can you care for anything at all?! You are a machine! A collection of schemes and chips put together, nothing more! You can't love him!"

"And how love joins two people? James doesn't need sentimentalities like kisses, romantic dinners and even sex. His love is science and we share this love. He is above the basic instinct to reproduce. As you see he does very well without it all, I satisfy all his needs."

"But you are robbing him of experiences of normal life!"

"I don't. He decided it himself, that's why he programmed me this way."

"But this is not right!"

"And what is, Miss Vortex? Everyone chooses his path of life and his companion on it. Do you think you would fit better than me? Me, Aurora Marie Neutron? You ruined him once, I won't let you do it again. You can start searching for another curator for you research."

……………….

Cindy fell sick. It was not an abnormal occurrence in winter, but Cindy didn't have a weak body, she still continued her Tai-Chi trainings. Her spirit, however, was broken. During several days of lying in bed to recover from flu she had a lot of time to think about the words Aurora said. Aurora… Her own bloody name and her own face had scolded her like some three-year-old. Like Jimmy Nerdtron did in school.

Dammit! She had to retaliate! But on what grounds? She was definitely not the other woman chasing after Aurora's man. And the reason for the whole mess was a completely oblivious Professor James Isaac Neutron. He indeed declined her proposal, adding as reason his overfilled schedule. Bullshit! He did, however, add a list of scientists who could help her.

Cindy knew for certain that she didn't want Jimmy Neutron for herself, she could even stoop as low as to admit she didn't deserve him. So why did she start all this mess? Of course, he was incredibly hot, but it was not here nor there. She was once again drawn to him by force she couldn't control and had no scientific explanation. The same force that made her best him in school, want to get into his lab at all cost, oh yes, jealousy. But it was much more complicated than that.

She knew then, and certainly knew now that he was better than her. In some, okay, a lot of things. But being beside him during their childhood adventures gave her a thrill no competition's victory could give. Being a part of his genius was an incredible experience, she was certain his sidekicks would've never understood that. Jimmy probably didn't need them too. Cindy was with him constantly in opposition, and most of the time, a pointless one.

Now he had someone beside him who was his equal and who worshipped him at the same time. No human woman could accomplish that. And why Cindy was even thinking about it?

She turned over and made herself forget about genii and robots. Another feeling had been eating her insides lately and Cindy made a decision. It was time to put an end to her guilt and shame. If others could release her from them which she doubted would be easy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: How Do You Plead?**

Driving on the highway with snow lending onto her front window in large flakes, Cindy started to doubt her idea to visit her long forgotten friends on Christmas. She made a small investigation of her own to discover their whereabouts. She toyed with the thought to ask for Aurora's assistance since she was so pro at that, but then decided against it, not to be squeezed into a Christmas decoration.

As it was, she only managed to find Libby who moved to another town for some unknown reason. As Cindy found out from Retroville newspapers her parents died in a car accident. Libby sold the house and disappeared. Cindy could understand her feelings. Wanting to forget everything, begin all anew.

Finally she found Libby's current address and drove there to make a Christmas surprise. The two-store house she parked near belonged to a well-off owner. Lamps of all colors were seen already from the beginning of the street. Cindy rang the doorbell and held her breath. The door opened and…

"Oh my God!" both women cried at the same time.

Libby from genuine surprise having no problems with identifying her guest, and Cindy from seeing Libby with a gigantic belly.

"Gods, Cin, what are you doing here?"

"I… came… to visit you and, you know, stuff," Cindy drawled, still not able to draw her eyes away from Libby's additional weigh. Even if the cause was completely natural, Cindy just couldn't come to terms with it.

"Come in then. I can't stay on the cold, as you understand."

Cindy followed Libby through a spacious hallway, taking her coat off with automatic movements still in a trance. And what did she expect? A girl with orange headphones?

Suddenly sounds of barking came from the living room and something shiny appeared before Cindy. "Goddard?" she breathed out.

"Bark! Bark!" 'Good day and Merry Christmas, Cindy Vortex!' appeared on his communication display.

"Good day to you too, Goddard. What are you doing here?"

"Jimmy's parents lent him to us to look after me," Libby replied, showing Cindy the way to the living room. The room was full of soft sofas and pillows, also of books about pregnancy and parenting. "Take a sit wherever you find a place. We haven't yet cleared the mess after yesterday's party," Libby said, making herself comfortable on one of the sofas with Goddard placing a footstool under her legs.

"Oh," Cindy responded weakly. She sat down in between two enormous pillows and looked at her hands. The conversation was going nowhere. "So when are you due?" she asked the first thing that came to her mind.

"Two weeks give or take. I, of course, feel that I will burst any moment!" Libby replied enthusiastically. It was obvious that she couldn't wait to become mother already.

"I am sorry that I burst in like that," Cindy began, now looking at the carpeted floor. There seemed to be a very interesting vine spot that somehow turned the pattern backwards.

"Not at all, Cin. You are always welcome. You do have a lot of explaining to do though."

Cindy of course agreed with Libby, but where to begin? Her thoughts were interrupted by Goddard's barking and rushing towards the front door. Soon after there was the sound of door unlocking and a dark-haired man stepped into the house and then the living room.

"So how are my darlings doing? Multiplying?" the man asked, planting a kiss on Libby's lips, which Cindy could characterize only as hungry.

Libby reluctantly pushed the man away. "We have a guest, dear," she said, glancing Cindy's way.

The man followed the glance of, well, mother of his child, as far as Cindy knew, and fell onto one of pillows on the floor. "Cindy?" he asked his eyes wide.

"Sheen?" It was Cindy's turn to widen her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" It was not an inquiry, it was an angry demand. And his clenched fists were proof of his intentions.

"Calm down, Sheen. Cindy came to visit-"

"Calm down?! Came to visit?!" Sheen yelled jumping up. For the first time Cindy was actually afraid of Sheen Estevez. "After all the shit we went through after she left?! Flew away like an autumn leaf! After what she did to Jim? She has no right to be accepted in this house!"

"Sheen, please!" Libby pled, rising her voice enough to scream over his tirade.

In a flash Sheen was beside her, seeing as Libby's breathing was too irregular to be normal. "Are you alright? Does anything hurt?" he questioned, rubbing her belly tenderly.

Libby took several deep breaths and opened her eyes. "Everything is alright. Just don't yell, please. It scares the boys."

"Okay, Libs."

Cindy watched the scene in fascination. It was another dimension, comparing to James and Aurora. So much love, caring and even passion. How did it all happen?

"Goddard, please, make tea for us," Libby asked, moving slightly for the sofa to accommodate Sheen too. The mechanic dog ran to the kitchen barking happily all the way.

"So?" Sheen asked. The hostility was still present, but he promised his wife to behave, so he would.

"I see, you two have been well," Cindy remarked, understanding that nobody will make it easier for her.

"Indeed, no thanks to you," Sheen snapped, but instantly received a kick from Libby.

"Please, behave, Sheen, at least for a while. Let's tell Cindy what happened after she moved."

"Yeah, that's a wonderful idea," Cindy agreed, feeling with every Sheen's word as guilt consumed her once again.

Goddard arrived with tea and Libby began her tale.

"You left when we were in middle school. Reactions were different of course. I was literally a mess. Your small note explained nothing. Just stated the fact that your parents are moving due to work and you are going with them. It hurt immensely, but I came around after awhile. But nothing what I went through could be compared with what Jimmy felt.

When I told him you left and showed him the note, he wouldn't believe me. When he finally agreed with the fact, he tried to locate you. With satellite and every other tracking equipment possible, but nothing worked, which made him even more devastated. One day, however, he appeared in class as if nothing had happened. We asked about his search for you and he said he didn't know who Cindy Vortex was. No idea at all.

We were obviously shocked. Then we thought that he used some gadget on himself to forget you and left it at that. We were only fourteen after all. Life went on, Jimmy became more and more distant. He locked himself in his lab for days. Nothing interested him, only his experiments. Then there was another blow when Carl was taken to the hospital with a terrible sickness. He stayed there for half a year, loosing almost all his weigh.

By the time of Carl's release from the hospital, there was nothing left from the Jimmy we knew. He took all compulsory exams for graduating and left for university. He cruised through seven of them in four years, receiving a doctoral degree, or maybe several, I don't remember already.

We don't know what happened to him, what Jimmy did to himself, but your leaving, Cindy, changed him irreversibly. Something broke inside him and couldn't be mended."

"Yes, it is all your fault," Sheen supported her.

Libby continued, not reacting to Sheen's comment. "When Jimmy left we kept in touch, but obviously our friendship was not the one that it was before. With you and Jimmy away and Carl recovering, Sheen and I became close and then decided to try dating. Which turned out to be a good idea. Jimmy didn't support us at first, for some unknown reason, but then conceded. We got married two years ago, just before the… accident with my parents, and moved here. Carl has a llama ranch in Texas."

Goddard once again appeared in the living room, his body shaking like a vibrator was inside him.

"Hey, Jimmy is calling!" Sheen exclaimed, grabbing the canine and putting it onto his lap.

A screen appeared out of Goddard's back, depicting Jimmy and Aurora's smiling faces. Cindy stilled and pressed herself into the sofa as if trying to hide from the happy faces.

"Hey guys, Merry Christmas!" Jimmy greeted from the screen. "Libby is still intact?"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Jimmy, and yes, I am still intact. If not for long. You remember your promise, right?"

Jimmy's eyes darted backwards, where his enormous lab was seen. "I don't know, Libby, I am so busy, I may not make it."

"Nonsense, Jimmy," Sheen objected. "You promised to be their Godfather and we won't take no for an answer. It is a sealed deal, mate. I am quite capable of dragging you here, or Goddard can. I am his master now, so he'll do it. Right, Goddard?" An affirmative bark was received in response. "So there."

"But what's the point, Sheen? I am never there anyway."

"Well, you need to get out of that lab from time to time. And Aurora won't melt from some fresh air either."

"But she does require special conditions-"

"I can speak for myself, James. We will visit you as soon as the current project will be finished. I wish you an easy delivery, Libby."

"Thank you, Aurora. I hope you didn't work all the way through the holidays."

"Technically yes, but at some point I dragged James downstairs to staff's Christmas party, so we at least made an appearance."

"That was very nice of you, Aurora," Libby remarked warmly, but her voice began becoming strained.

"Oh, Miss Vortex, what are you doing there?" Jimmy asked, finally noticing the blond woman whose attempts to remain invisible obviously failed.

"She is our new neighbor for the holidays, rents out a house two blocks from ours. Came to wish Merry Christmas," Libby explained hurriedly.

"Okay then," Jimmy said, as if didn't care in the slightest about the new neighbor.  
Why should he? "Merry Christmas again and call me first thing out of the delivery room."

"Of course, bye, Jimmy, Aurora."

The screen disappeared and a wail echoed through the room, then another one. Cindy was shaking with sobs, covering her face, too ashamed to cry openly.

"Sheen, I think she is going into shock," Libby whispered, pushing her husband off the sofa to aid her former best friend. "We must do something. Do you still have your secret stash?"

"Hey! That's supposed to be a secret!"

"No matter! Get it now!"

Several minutes later, Sheen wrestled with hysterical Cindy to pure some whisky down her throat. He received several scratches, but finally succeeded.

"Will you be alright?" Libby asked softly, pushing away the blond locks to see Cindy's face.

"He doesn't know me anymore. I am just a blank place for him. I can't talk to him anymore. Why? Why? Why?! If only I had stepped over my pride and fear and kept in touch, nothing like that would've happened! We would've not been just strangers!" Another waterfall of tears followed. "And that bitch calls him her James as if she owns him now and forever!"

"It is natural, Cindy. You left and he moved on. If not… in a traditional way. You shouldn't have left with no explanation."

"But it hurt! It hurt so much to leave you, guys! You were a part of me! I couldn't look him in the eye and say we will not see each other anymore. I couldn't tell him! I couldn't…"

Libby stroked Cindy's back to help her calm down, but her thoughts were far in the past. At the time when they were sitting in Cindy's bedroom and Cindy would throw glances across the street at another window and then try to hide her interest. Stupid, stubborn and proud. They both were.

"At least now you know what Jimmy felt towards you."

"What?" Cindy asked, her neck turning with a snap.

"Aurora was made to be an ideal girlfriend. Jimmy modeled her after an example he thought suited him the most. Even after he wiped all his memories of you, your image remained in his subconscious. You can't even imagine how similar you two are. Every time we look at her we question the reality of the situation. She even has your name."

"But she is a robot. How can you love a robot?"

"How do we love Goddard? If she makes him happy then it's enough."

"But Jimmy was different, we wanted to…"

Now Libby was intrigued. She didn't know that little piece of information. And Cindy shared everything with her. "Wanted to what?"

"Enter one university. He said that I seemed to be capable enough to study alongside him."

"Wow, that's one Hell of a compliment from a genius. Did you hear, Sheen? At least Jimmy admitted something. So why didn't you tell him you loved him too, Cindy?"

"Are you nuts, Libby?!" Cindy screamed, jumping up from the sofa, throwing some pillows off in the process. As if she cared. "We were thirteen!"

"So what? You were in love with him since ten," Libby stated, as if was the fundamental truth.

"I was not!!!"

"You didn't add, 'and am not', Cindy."

"And am not," Cindy repeated automatically.

"Unfortunately for you, I am still the person who knows you better than anyone and don't need Aurora's lying detector. But it is you who must live with it."

On some known impulse Cindy sat back onto the sofa and hugged Libby as close as the belly allowed. "Nobody knows me as good as you, Libs. When I left, I was put into a new school, but I couldn't make any real friends there. Every day I wanted to contact you, but stopped every time. I was afraid. And stupid. I just thought that it would change nothing. I was still on the other part of US. I was sure you were going on some great adventures without me and Jimmy was happy beyond imagination because I was finally gone and nobody bullies and teases him every hour of every day. And I managed to convince myself that my leave was for the best.

But there was nobody as great as you, guys, even Carl included. I withdrew into myself, books and Tai-Chi. I studied lots. Some boyfriends appeared from time to time, but I was never satisfied or even partly happy. And then I decided to make the world a better place and become a doctor. I studied in one university and then decided to transfer, because something was missing yet again.

He was not listed in the official staff list. If he had been, I would've never… even neared the place. But he is just researching there and substitutes. I was not supposed to see him ever again! Why, Libby? Why? Is it my punishment for leaving as I did?"

Libby's dress turned wetter and wetter, but she continued to hold her lost friend. A mess indeed. Somehow Libby thought that it couldn't be solved by just talking things over.

"And he didn't even yell at me, guilted me into admission of my mistake. Not even silent treatment. He just doesn't know me anymore! Six years of our life! As if it happened in some other dimension! How is that possible?! This is too harsh for a punishment."

"Unfortunately, even if a broken heart can be mended, a damaged brain can be not."

Cindy's head jerked up, her eyes having a spark that Libby often saw in Jimmy's ones – Cindy was having a brain blast. My, where this can lead?

"But new memories can be made. I can be not Jimmy's past, but his present and future."

"You want to go against the ideal girlfriend? Didn't you mention that you had never any romantic feelings for Jimmy Neutron?" It was hard for Libby not to smirk. The whole situation was so surreal! Those genii just can't live normally. "Before you deny anything, I'll give you some homework. Sheen, bring that disk that Jimmy gave us before introducing as to Aurora."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks everyone for wonderful reviews. Hopefully you won't be disappointed by this chapter too!**

**Chapter Five: Introducing project "Aurora"**

"Creating an artificial intelligence, a wholly operational robot and a humanoid machine that can perform all possible tasks are the aims of modern computer and nanotechnologies. I, James Isaac Neutron, dare to combine these three into one creation. Quite a brave undertaking, considering that I don't have a whole institute of assistants and an organization whose funds I can use. This creature will be further known as Aurora since I… simply like to give her this name. Yes, her. I would like to create someone that every man dreams about – a perfect woman for himself.

But let's not go too far into the future. Aurora is supposed to have all exterior attributes of a woman as well as character features of a woman devoted to her male partner. I had been working on the designs for several years, calculating mostly the opportunities for a body of ordinary size to contain all necessary devices for its proper function.

One of the most important questions is of course the material for the body and brains. Because of the reasons mentioned above, I decided not to create any special plastic or metal as building material. That's why I had a trip to space and brought several extraterrestrial materials. So Aurora is going to be a bit of an alien. I don't actually care. The idea is to make her weigh not more than ninety kilograms."

There was a blackout for a second and then the video began again.

"Now that the skeleton is assembled from a superlight but at the same time a superresistant material, we can move to nerve system. Since we are going for AI, the brain itself must be a supercomputer. Alien technology comes in handy here too. The cooling system will be natural – from nose, ears, eyes and also hair, that will be made from a special textile that cools down anything underneath. It is obviously not enough for the brain with IQ at least two hundred and fifty, but there is a backup plan too.

The body's main function is motorial. It must move as similar to natural as possible, even to the point of swinging of hips. So what motor could move something like this? Should I make a mechanism similar to heart or stimulate muscles directly?"

Another blackout, then sudden bright light.

"Isn't she a beauty? Look at this body! Like an onyx sculpture of an Egyptian goddess. The skin was of course a challenge, but I created a special rubber-plastic-silicon material for it. Of course, it will need nutrition, but doesn't any other skin need it too? The face was actually the most problematic aspect of the project. I didn't know what I want to look at every day. So I asked one of my colleagues to hypnotize me, so an artist could make some sketches of my thoughts on the subject. The picture came out to be surprisingly beautiful. I thought I wasn't able to have any understanding of such things. Anyway, the skin will go to the head, arms till elbows and legs. It is not necessary to cover other parts. There will be no gadgets stored in the body. It is easier to invent a hundred-purpose-purse if the need arises."

Another blackout. When the picture reappeared Jimmy was not alone on the screen. Technically. Aurora's body was sitting beside him.

"The most delicate and complicated part of the project – making Aurora fulfill her purpose a.k.a. program her to be an independent individual, but at the same time a devoted companion. Every man has his own requirements for his ideal girlfriend. I, personally, don't have any special ones. Aurora is to fulfill my needs without me asking; follow my orders but be able to independently make decisions suitable for both of us; she must be devoted only to me and not look at any other man, thus she will never ever leave me. Beautiful, smart and obedient. What else a man can want?"

The video ended.

"Caring, passionate, sexy, sassy, challenging, funny! God, I can continue for hours!" Cindy exclaimed with indignation, ejecting the disk with one hand and dialing Libby's number with the other.

"Hey, Libs? You okay?"

"Did you call me just to ask that?"

"Can you answer?"

"Yes, I still look like an oversized hippo. Did you watch the disk?"

"Yes, so you tell me when Jimmy lost his brains."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He created a superwoman that is not super at all! Brains on moving legs! She doesn't even have real boobs! She is just a slave who can think. She is as cold as a tin can, what can be so perfect about her?"

"Actually she is not cold. The version that you saw was the very first variant of Aurora. Over the year she has received a lot of upgrades. So now she can have warm arms, chest and back if needed. Kisses are pretty natural too. At least Sheen says so."

"Kisses?!" Cindy cried, utterly mortified by the information.

"Well nothing openmouthed or tongue involving but a peck here and there… Was her suggestion, as I understood. Jimmy is completely clueless about such things."

"But why? He did kiss me before."

"From this moment in details, gal! How? What? When?"

"Doesn't matter, Libby. I still can't believe Aurora is Jimmy's ideal of a woman. He did like to spurt scientific nonsense all the time, but he at least had a sense of humor."

"Aurora doesn't lack it either. I personally saw how she made Jimmy laugh. You know, Cindy, I was thinking… Why don't you two become friends?"

"Now you've lost your brains too?! That's utter nonsense!"

"Why? You have a lot in common. Your love for Jimmy, for example."

"I don't love Jimmy Neutron!"

Libby covered the receiver not to turn deaf from Cindy's scream. "Deceive yourself further, girl, but listen to an advice of a pregnant woman, who doesn't do anything else but think about other people's love lives. It is not against Aurora's programming to have a female friend. And just think about Jimmy's face when he understands you outsmarted him!"

"I think you are onto something there…"

……………….

"Miss Vortex, I thought we agreed that I can't-"

"Actually, Professor Neutron, I came to Aurora. We exchanged some words a while back and I thought that she can be a perfect shopping companion. She does go shopping, right?"

"Of course, she does. But right now she has everything she needs-"

"But I don't. I need an evening gown for the party at the end of the school year. Since she already has one, maybe she can help me to choose?"

Professor Neutron was obviously lost. A mistake in his calculations was a rare thing, but there it was. Any woman must socialize with other women to remain one herself. "I will check with our schedule," he mumbled and disappeared in the lab.

Not less than twenty minutes later Aurora appeared and to Cindy's amusement and fascination - the other woman was frowning. What technology can make her do that?

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked right away.

"Maybe I got it wrong, but you are considered to be as close to human being as possible, so you are not a prisoner here. So why not have a walk with someone who had known your precious James from elementary school? Don't you want to know how he acted in his childhood?"

"I know everything already. I've read his memories."

"How is that possible?"

"With James everything is possible."

"I agree, but there is no me in his memories, so there must be some things you don't know because… only I know about them."

Cindy's comment was met with silence. After an active thinking process which was even mirrored on her face, Aurora nodded. "This Saturday. Meet me here at ten."

………………..

Cindy was nervous. As if she was going on a first date. Which was totally ridiculous, because she was only planning to spend a day with practically her clone, which in turn had super-brain, lie detector and who knows what else. Cindy decided to be punctual and flashed her ID in front of the lab door scanner exactly at ten o'clock. She didn't recognize Aurora at first. Without the lab coat, with her hair down, and wearing an elegant fur-coat, nobody could say that there was a robot in front of him.

"Wow, you are all dressed up," Cindy complimented.

"Why not? We are going out."

"Those boots, where did you buy them?" Cindy couldn't help but ask.

"Chicago."

"Huh?"

"We don't shop here. Usually I order everything on the Internet, but sometimes we go wherever is needed. Want to go to Alley today?"

"I don't suppose you are kidding," Cindy remarked evenly. She herself knew that with Jimmy Neutron everything was possible. "What will it be? A rocket?"

"A more traditional way of transportation. I'll ask James for keys." A minute later Aurora returned with a golden chain with several keys hanging on it.

They headed out of the university and Cindy began to feel an almost forgotten rush of another adventure. Young women left the campus and caught a taxi. Cindy raised a questioning eyebrow. This was the transport to Alley? Was Aurora simply talking about a shop downtown with the same name? But the taxi went through town and took the highway towards and airfield. The car left and check paid with Neutron's credit-card, which one Cindy didn't manage to decipher, they headed to one of the hangars.

"James called before we left to prepare it, so it won't take much time to reach Alley. I am afraid you must discard the coat. It is warm enough there."

"I really can't object to Californian sun in January."

"Then everything is settled."

The doors of hangar opened and Cindy gasped at the beauty of the view that was revealed. It was a small silver jet with a painfully familiar atomic symbol on its corpus. "It is so beautiful."

"Thank you."

"What do you mean?"

"I redesigned it for it to be more presentable. A brilliant scientist must have a brilliant image," Aurora replied, taking the stairs into the jet salon. There were no personnel in the hangar to indicate that the jet was actually ready, but Cindy just followed her hostess.

"So you are PR too?"

"I am a universal assistant – PR, accountant, secretary, personal assistant, lab partner."

"You forgot 'girlfriend.'"

"Wife actually," Aurora said, pressing buttons on the panel that was in the nose of the jet. The left space looked like a living room with leather sofas and tasteful furniture.

"Interior designer too?" Cindy asked, making herself comfortable on one the sofas.

"That falls under wife's duty. Albert, you can take off." The engines suddenly roared to life and Aurora gestured for Cindy to fasten her seatbelt. The jet rolled out of the hanger and headed for the takeoff runaway. "Completely automated. Reacts to voice commands."

"I missed that," Cindy breathed out contently.

"What?"

"Holidays in Egypt, weekend in a submarine, excursion to Mars… Of course, we always found trouble, but it was fun. Now we are going to the other end of US just in spur of the moment. But that's just old memories, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Obviously. Why else will you organize this meeting? It is about James, isn't it?"

"Why do you call him like that?"

"Because he told me to."

"So he… activated you, said his name was James and you was his wife and everything under the Sun and that was it?"

"Of course not. I considered you to be much smarter, Miss Vortex."

"Call me Cindy."

"My opinion remains the same."

"I am sorry. I am simply a little lost about the whole situation."

"And I wonder why it affects you so. As I gathered, you were not replaced, Cindy, so you have nothing to regret."

Cindy drew her glance away. Man genius was one thing, a woman – a wholly other story. Even if Aurora was a robot, she knew all the right buttons to push. "You are right. I have no claim on Jimmy and his personal life is not my business, but…"

"You don't want to put a period to this story yet. Your heart still calls for him."

"I don't want to admit, but I was wrong about you. Your insight is astounding."

"I am a genius. But you don't need a genius to see a jealous woman. And don't even start denying it, Cindy. I've seen it enough around the campus to make an unshakable conclusion."

"About that, how did you become jealous? I doubt Jimmy deliberately programmed something like this."

"I evolved myself."

A ringtone with a voice reciting the table of chemical elements filled the living room in the air. Cindy rolled her eyes at the choice.

"Aurora speaking. We will reach Alley in half an hour. You need something, James? Oh, really? Please, extend my congratulations. Should I schedule a visit? The middle of next week is free. Two days? I will try to arrange it." Aurora closed the lid of the cellphone and smiled at Cindy. The latter wondered how a robot can fill emotions. "Libby gave birth to twin boys. We are visiting them next week. You obviously want to go?"

"Of course, I do. But I don't want to intrude. I can visit later."

"Your choice."

After a pause Cindy decided to ask a question she often asked herself lately. "Have you ever thought about becoming a mother, Aurora?"

"You know perfectly well that it is impossible."

"But you could at least think, right? About it, in general."

"When I discovered that James and I can't have sex, I didn't probe the idea any further."

"You discovered? Didn't he inform you beforehand?" Cindy asked incredulously. Sex in the relationship was one of the basic things nowadays. With genii it could be someway different, but still.

"My brain was not loaded with all information of the world from the very beginning. Only with basic and useful data, so to say. For example that mammals multiply through a sexual intercourse, but I didn't know what sexual intercourse was. Logically, James couldn't teach me to dress fashionably or apply perfume."

"You use perfume?!"

"I don't have taste senses, so I can't cook, thus go the straight way to the man's heart, but I have a functional nose to differ chemicals mostly, but this way I can choose perfume too, and, believe me, James has an exceptional nose."

"Incredible! I would've never imagined that you are-"

"Not real? A mere robot? I can do things that impossible for humans, and some things are impossible for me. But I am content with what I have. As I understood you plan to have a career of a researcher, so why the topic of motherhood was brought up?"

"I am twenty two now and I was thinking about my future. I indeed want to go into research, but I, no offence, am not any genius who can stay in his lab night and day. I am used to have a life. Going out and have fun, even if much less than before. I don't want to lose my freedom and happiness to science."

"You are lucky not to fall for James then. He is a workaholic to the bone. He created me only because he needed someone to do the mundane work so he could use his genius to the fullest."

"You are really not bitter about this, or you just can't be?"

"I am not. I was created with certain purposes and I am fulfilling them."

"But you are AI, can't you evolve to be smarter than Jimmy and then you could change roles? You are immortal too, right?"

A small smiled graced Aurora's lips. "I was programmed in a very special way. I am James's greatest creation. You can't change your DNA, can you?"

"No, I can't, but some genes can be activated with time or under environmental influence and some can stay hidden till death."

"Well, I can't change my DNA no matter what. My system files are locked with a special code and only James knows it. Close your seatbelt, we are about to lend."

"How do you know? There was no announcement."

Aurora tapped her temple. "A little secret between Albert and I. From one machine to another."

The shopping spree in Alley was a pleasant one. A lunch in between shops was pleasant too. Cindy discovered that Aurora needed special nutrition, but it looked like blue chips so people didn't stare much. They still did - Aurora's beauty was unquestionable even without décolleté and a slit up to her waist.

They parted ways around seven o'clock.

"This week I've been researching some things… And then I verified my findings with James. Species like me are able to maintain such relationship as friendship. So I desire to explore the opportunity if you provide me with one, Cindy."

"Of course, Aurora. It will be a real waste for me not to agree. You are certainly one of a kind!"

"Certainly," Aurora stated completely serious.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Incredibilities and Impossibilites**

"Are you aware of the size of your phone bill, Cin?"

"Vividly, Libs. I am looking at it right now. But since you are practically nonexistent online, and I am perfectly aware that you have a thousand of problems beside me, but I just must talk to you."

"I have some time before the next feeding, so spill."

"She is absolutely incredible! I've never met a person like her. She is like a mother and a sister and a friend at the same time. Of course, I can't gossip with her silly, but Michelle grills me enough as it is."

"And this incredible person is…"

"Aurora of course! It is as if she returned me to life. We went out a couple of times, shopping and lunching. She said right away that it is pointless to go with her to the movies or any other place connected to art, because she can't understand, but she is as far from dull as possible! We can talk about anything! And she doesn't lie or pretend. She is like from a fairytale."

"So Jimmy didn't lose his brains when he created her?"

"About Jimmy…"

"What now?"

"I haven't seen him at all since the moment we went to Alley with Aurora. I can't understand if he simply dismisses me as not his business or he intentionally avoids me."

"Why don't you ask your new friend?"

"I don't want to use her to forge a relationship with Jimmy."

"Aren't you doing exactly that?"

"No. I am using her to an extent but it is not connected to Jimmy."

"Of course, I don't completely know your situation, Cindy, but haven't you thought that Aurora is not only Jimmy's ideal?"

"What are you talking about?" Cindy asked, frowning in thought.

"Don't you imagine herself being like Aurora in the future?"

"That's impossible. I'll never have such memory capacity or such high IQ no matter how I'd try."

"But you can put a goal, right? You always were the smart one." Libby paused, but Cindy continued to listen intently to the sound of breathing on the other end. She felt that Libby was going to say something very important, but why was she hesitating? "When Jimmy introduced us to Aurora, I thought that he was messing around. I thought he had finally found you. I only believed that Aurora was a robot when she undressed. You two are so alike that it is scary. Aurora is like your other half that was so rarely seen when we were young. Those were also the times when you and Jimmy got along, worked together to reach one goal. The part that was hidden under impulsiveness and excess anger towards Jimmy."

"What do you want to say, Libby? I don't understand all these hints."

"Jimmy is not happy and it is not Aurora's fault. I can feel it. See it in his empty eyes. They've been empty for far too long. Something is very wrong. You must talk to him. Really talk to him."

"But he doesn't remember who I am! Right now I am just a girl who distracts his assistant from her job."

"I don't care, Cindy! Call it a maternal instinct but I know that something bad is going to happen soon."

Libby's instinct was right, it happened so unexpectedly that was labeled impossible.

………………..

"Where are you running, Cindy? The lecture is cancelled."

"And where is Neutron?"

"So we are having an informal relationship already?" Michelle asked mischievously. She was well aware of her roommate having friendship with the robot, but it was pointless to drag any gossip out of her. When Cindy wanted she could be a silent mountain.

"Still, where is he?"

"Couldn't make it."

"But what could happen? There were no outside lectures planned till next week," Cindy muttered under her breath, ignoring Michelle's shouts to tell her at least something, her feet already taking her to Neutron's lab. Those same feet froze before the opened door. The outer door was never opened, it was impossible! The security was as heavy as in Fort Nox.

Cindy cautiously entered the hall to find it empty, the door to the lab was left ajar too. Cindy knew it was not the time for joking at that moment, but she automatically thought about alien invasion, which was downright impossible and stupid to even think about. She cautiously stepped into the sacred place for the Neutrons. Despite of the importance of the quickness of the required reaction to the situation and maybe even tragedy at hand, Cindy stopped to admire the colossal space of the laboratory which had practically no space free from inventions, gadgets, chemical tubes and God knows what else. Jimmy's clubhouse lab was a star in a Milky Way in comparison to his current one. Cindy's tour of fascination was interrupted by heart wrenching sobs. She hurried to the source of the sounds and found herself in a middle sized room. The interior was a spartan one: a bed, a nightstand with a lamp and a closet. The other half of the room was taken by a huge capsule filled with a green gooish liquid.

"What's going on?" Cindy questioned from the doorstep.

"What are you doing here?" Neutron barked, noticing the intruder in his personal quarters on a very private moment no less.

"You never miss a lecture, I became worried." And she became more and more worried by the second taking into account young man's tears stricken face and bloodshot eyes. Something was very very off.

"Well, now you have some free time, go and enjoy it! It's none of your business whatsoever what's going on here! So please leave!"

Cindy shrank under Neutron's pure rage that he emitted in powerful waves and even made the lamp shake.

"Please, professor, calm down," Cindy pled cajolingly. "Where is Aurora? Do you need her to do something for you?" She slowly advanced towards the bed where Neutron was sitting. She knew a hurt person when she saw one, but what could've happened? Even she knew that there was practically nothing that could break Jimmy Neutron.

On the sound of Aurora's name his rage instantly evaporated and he broke into tears once again. "Aurora is ill. She is going to die."

"Huh? You mean, she broke? And what nonsense is about dying? It is impossible, she is a machine!"

"James is always right," came from the capsule that happened not to be simply an interior decorum. Inside it laid Aurora, thick wires surrounding her. "I've got a virus and my brain is disintegrating."

"Only a virus? Don't just sit there, Neutron! Do something! You are bloody genius! Fight it, do a reboot, anything!"

"And what do you think I've been doing this whole week?" The young genius blew into Cindy's face, jumping up from the bed and beginning to circle around the carpet which seemed to be used to such treatment according to the trampled pattern on its edge. "I tried everything! I even brought spare parts from Jupiter! But the virus is still killing her brain and it is impossible to separate it."

"Then Hell with the brain! Save everything else!"

"If I'd needed a brainless assistant I could've employed anybody, even you!"

Cindy had to swallow the personal insult, she had to save her friend, or even two of them. "I still don't believe that Aurora is a lost cause. You can built her anew, transfer the data to the new brain. There are dozens of variants!"

"She won't be the same, Vortex. A replica is always not the original, she may look like her and think like her, but she won't be her. Even if Aurora is only a machine, she has her individual personality. A personality even I didn't anticipate. Where did that artistic side come from? I can't… Just can't duplicate her. It will be defilement."

"You do love her…" Cindy realized shocked, but not entirely surprised. She watched their interactions in the hallways and the cafeteria. Almost a normal couple as two scientists can be. No romanticisms or sentimentalities, but they obviously cared for one another.

"Of course, I don't," Neutron responded and now Cindy was surprised at the harshness of his tone, not to mention disgust on the subject. "She was an invaluable partner, nothing more."

"She is still alive! Don't talk about her in the past tense already!" Cindy yelled. She couldn't believe that Jimmy Neutron could be that cold and emotionless. And she saw him crying his eyes out only several minutes ago.

"Thirty eight minutes to total destruction," he recited as if he became a computer himself. "You can say good bye or whatever." With that Professor Neutron left, shutting the door behind him with a bang.

"Cindy… Cindy, please come here."

Cindy rushed to the capsule and looked inside. Aurora was floating in the goo, her wig discarded and cables connected to her head. The skin on the body was missing too, only the face remained, but the edges were disintegrating already. She still looked beautiful though.

"Is it really true? There is no cure, no way to repair you?" Cindy asked with all sympathy she could master and not break into tears.

"Yes. My calculations are always correct. I want to tell you something, Cindy. And I want you to do one very important thing. In my vanity table you will find an envelope with a memory stick. On it is stored one of my memories I want you to see. You must help James. Only you can. Yes, you ruined him long ago, but only you can turn things right.

My voice cords are going to shut down soon. I want you to know that I was James's greatest creation, but I was his biggest failure too. I finalized the process of him turning into Professor James Isaac Neutron, who he is not. Your Jimmy is still somewhere deep inside him. Find him and bring him back. You want to, don't you?" Aurora's eyes remained open, but the voice died out.

The cable unplugged itself signaling for the data transaction to be complete. Cindy watched as Aurora's head floated for some time and then sank – there was not a particle left now from the greatest invention of James Isaac Neutron and he wasn't even present to say good bye.

"Coldblooded bastard," Cindy spat, leaving the laboratory, on the way automatically taking the envelope Aurora told her about. "I am so going to give him a piece of my mind. His dry brain surely needs it."

With a resolve of a tank Cindy Vortex stormed through the halls of the university. Her target – Professor Neutron. Suddenly the windows turned ablaze with red and the air was filled with the siren of the ambulance. Cindy abruptly changed her course and bolted towards to the entrance hall. Somehow she was sure she had to be there, otherwise she won't be able to fulfill Aurora's request.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part II: Original Replica**

**Chapter One: Alone?**

"We can't tell you where he is kept, Miss Vortex. Mister Neutron was admitted with a very serious trauma, his condition is extremely delicate-"

"For crying out loud, can't you just tell me? I am not a stranger from the street, I am his friend! He has just lost someone very dear to him, he must have someone beside him! I must tell something to his parents! I can't just tell, "Your son bumped his head, can you come to the hospital?"

"Lost someone, you say? So it is as we suspected…"

"Suspected what, doctor? Please, tell me!"

"That it was not an accident."

"No, doctor, you are not implying…"

"Yes, Miss Vortex, we think it was a suicide attempt."

Cindy's knees gave up and she fell onto one of the chairs in the hospital waiting room. "God, Jimmy, what is going on in that head of yours?"

An hour later Cindy gathered her wits enough to make needed calls. The first one was to the Estevezes' residence.

"Hi, Libby."

"Why so dead, Cin?"

Cindy shivered at the word, but tried for her tone to be less grave. "There was an accident… Can you give me the Neutrons' number?"

"Oh no! The lab blew up again?"

"No, the lab is intact. Better this however."

"Common, gal, tell me!"

"Jimmy was hit by a car on university's parking lot."

"But why didn't Aurora protect him? It was the only superhuman function that Jim installed in her body."

"Aurora is dead." And Cindy didn't care how dead her voice sounded.

"But that's impossible!"

"Do you think, I am joking, Libby? He attempted to end his life! And we quarreled just several minutes before that! How do you think I feel?"

"Listen to me, gal. This was not your fault. Goddard is already calling Jimmy's parents. Stay put and don't turn into goo. We are coming too."

Cindy shivered at the mentioning of goo. The picture of Aurora's head sinking into the green substance was still vivid in her mind. Her feelings of guilt aside, what happened back then? At first Jimmy was crying like a baby, obviously not wanting to lose Aurora, then, on only the mentioning of love, turns into an iceberg and storms out. And only several minutes later attempts to commit suicide, because he lost his assistant. And if Cindy's calculations were correct the car accident happened exactly at the time of Aurora's complete disintegration. So if he didn't love Aurora, as he claims, why did he jump in front of the car?

………………..

The Neutrons arrived the next day. They obviously didn't have a supersonic jet and used ordinary means of transportation. Goddard was with them too. They didn't notice Cindy sitting on the stool which she had been occupying for the last ten hours. Why should they? They must not already remember a girl who was their neighbor more than five years ago. From their brief comments she understood that he hadn't gain consciousness yet, but the vitals were stable.

"There you are, Cindy. My, you look as you need to be admitted too. Why don't you go home to rest for a while?"

"I can't go, Libby. I must know his condition." But if Cindy had been honest with herself, she would admit that she had been at her limit already.

"I will text you when I know. I promise."

"I'll be waiting."

"Just sleep for a while. You look like a ghost. And before you say anything, I know that you feel like shit right now. The best way to live over it is to rest now and analyze it later. Unfortunately, not Neutron's formula."

……………..

Two months later Professor Neutron still hasn't returned to the university. To Cindy's knowledge he undergone a complicated brain surgery, but was still unconscious. For some reason, Cindy still hasn't gathered the courage to look at the memory Aurora left her. She somehow once again felt as an intruder to the world of the Neutrons. Maybe the fact that Jimmy didn't remember her was for the best? It was meant to be and they were not?

Still…life moved on. She had to study with double ferocity to make up for the lost time if she really wanted to become a decent researcher. She also found a curator for her final work from the list of scientists Professor Neutron gave her. Her academic life was a blast, but her personal one was a mess. Aurora's memory stick long forgotten, Cindy Vortex was going for her goal.

The fan club still existed, even if its activity was drawn to the minimum with their idol not there to worship him. Michelle being one of the activists supplied Cindy with information on Professor Neutron's condition, which Cindy ignored most of the time. She came to conclusion that there was absolutely no point in sticking her nose in the mess that was life of Professor Neutron. Yes, Aurora asked her to… help him, but she had no idea how to even approach him. Cindy was also afraid that if she went in she wouldn't be able to go out. Her dream – her own laboratory on the expense of another's life? No, definitely not.

One of the lectures was cancelled and Cindy was ready to spend a quiet pair in the university's library when a message arrived for the lecture to be conducted as usual. Suspecting nothing out of ordinary, Cindy reversed her steps to the assigned auditorium.

"So what do you think about all this?" Michelle chirped the moment Cindy took her place beside the hyperactive girl. They had very few lessons together, so why did she sit beside her on those? She was completely intolerable.

"I think I need to take notes, Michelle," Cindy replied, sounding tired.

"All studies and no fun will bring you to your grave, Cindy."

"If your idea of fun consists of spying for the elusive Nerdtron then count me out. Have you even found when he will be checked out?"

"Nerdtron? What a funny nickname. And yes, we did."

Cindy didn't like the mischievous sparks in Michelle's eyes.

"Good day, students. Since Professor Arskin is absent today, I will be substituting for him."

Cindy's pen fell and managed to roll several meters before she even noticed her hand was empty. She turned to look at the podium and there he was, the youngest professor in history but definitely without his usual glory. He looked pale, exhausted and downright unhealthy. So what was he doing teaching in this condition? Cindy watched him talk about doctor's interaction with patients as if he didn't care about doctors and even less for patients. From time to time he paused and looked at his right, then took a deep breath and went on.

Cindy was taken out of her trance by Michelle lightly shaking her shoulder. "What?" Cindy snapped irritated. "And stop sticking your pen into my face."

"But you need it to take your notes, don't you?" Michelle asked with a knowing smile and returned to her notebook.

Cindy grabbed the offered pen and at least attempted to concentrate on the lecture and not the lecturer.

……………

"Miss Vortex, please, remain after class."

"Oh my God, Cindy!" Michelle said in a hushed whisper, barely containing her excitement. "He's never singled out anyone before!"

"Michelle, if you are so hang up on him, then just go and say something to him."

"But he will reject me right away!" Michelle weaned.

"Then move on already!"

"But Cindy! He is so intriguing! I think I am gonna specialize on genii."

"Then I am not going to lend you any money. Because you will be broke before you even start."

They descended the stairs and Cindy headed towards the podium while Michelle left the auditorium, but not before flashing her two thumbs up.

"I doubt you are so inattentive in all your lectures, Miss Vortex."

"Well…"

"Hopefully, you can answer more intelligently, otherwise you will embarrass me in front of my colleagues."

"Embarrass you? In front of your colleagues? What are you talking about?"

"One big and very important conference is coming up which I must physically attend."

"Physically?"

"Video conferencing is pointless. It's several days long and I want to converse with several people there."

"And?"

"As you see, Miss Vortex, I am… little shorthanded."

"You mean…" Cindy began, already dreading his next words. Her vow not to get involved herself with Neutron seemed to go apart with every minute she was spending near him.

"I would like you to accompany me as my assistant if it isn't inconvenient. Your curator will be present too, so you can exchange words in person."

'_He checked my file again. Why such thorough planning? And why me of all people? And why am I already packing suitcases?_' "When is the conference scheduled?"

"Three weeks from today. You will need to familiarize yourself with materials and… other things. Come to my lab tomorrow at five."

"Hey! I haven't agreed to anything yet!"

"If you miss this opportunity then you are truly a fool, and you will never become a good researcher and change the world. Is this the crap you wrote about your dream application?"

"My dream is not crap!" Cindy cried, infuriated by his insulting treatment of her. And he wanted her to assist him? The candy tasted bitter already!

"And it will stay only a dream, if you don't come tomorrow."

"Go to Hell, Nerdtron!"

Cindy stomped away, leaving behind confused and shocked Professor Neutron.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Two: You Think You Are All That?**

Cindy asked herself once again what she was doing. While she was thinking about the rightfulness of the world, her arm moved on its own accord and pressed her ID towards the scanner. The door clicked open and she entered. What caught her eye right away was the absence of the yellow border.

"So what made you come, Miss Vortex? Your ambition or curiosity?"

"Extra credit," Cindy stated in a business-like tone. She decided to maintain a perfectly formal relationship, and she was damned if she would not grab some bonus from the whole affair.

"And what extra credit are we talking about? I am not officially one of your teachers so I doubt-"

"I want this to be added to my file."

"No matter the level of your performance?"

"I can assure you it will be more than satisfactory."

"For you or for me?"

Cindy bit her lip not to lash out about him needing her and not the other way around. "For both of us."

"Follow me then."

Neutron opened a door in the counter and gestured for Cindy to enter. The first time she rushed through the same door, it didn't make her feel anything, because her thoughts were on more important matters, but now a simple piece of wood symbolized an entrance to another world. Cindy couldn't help but feel honored and proud of herself to be allowed to step behind that small door that hid… who knows what could be behind it? Only the one who opened it for her knew it.

Cindy followed her new boss trying not to show any anxiety and childish curiosity, which was easy since he was leading the way and didn't throw a second glance at her.

"Since your IQ is only above average you will have assistance," Neutron said in a lecturing tone with just a bit of stress on the word 'average'. They reached the door that led to the main part of the laboratory and he tilted down for his retina to be scanned.

"Welcome back, James," greeted the voice that Cindy found strangely familiar.

"Later you will be given temporary access to the lab."

"Temporary?"

"All your data will be erased from the computer when we return from the conference."

"And if you need me later too? Repeated taking of the retina imprint is not exactly healthy."

"We will see about that."

They passed several closed doors to face an enormous screen. Cindy was neither surprised nor impressed, she saw it all before. She was quite familiar with VOX's controls actually.

"You both know each other, but just to be clear. Cynthia Vortex – Aurora, my newly upgraded computer."

Now was the moment for Cindy to be astonished, shocked even. The screen came to live to show Aurora's head 3D image with haircut and even eyelashes.

"Visual confirmation complete. Good day, Cindy." The voice was mechanical but still instantly recognizable as Aurora's.

"As you said, Miss Vortex, machines can't die, so I salvaged what was possible."

"But now she is only… only a bunch of microchips and wires. She doesn't have any personality, only a voice. It's just a pitiful copy of what Aurora's truly was," Cindy remarked with distaste, but it was not directed at the computer itself, but its master who just gave a familiar face to his computer which was only a working tool. It could have any visual means, why put Aurora there? Why degrade her so?

"She _was_ a bunch of microchips and wires," professor replied coldly. "She was around, now she is not. That's all it is to it."

"How can you-" But Cindy shut up as he pinned her with his icy glare. '_That's none of my business, none at all. Where did disappear the boy I loved to hate? Michelle was right – an enormous iceberg._'

Professor Neutron slammed at least a thousand of pages in front of her. "You need to review this. These materials are about my speech, the background of the conference and other presentations. The booking of the rooms was done long ago, so it is not your concern. You do own evening attire?"

"Of course," Cindy replied, slightly offended. He can degrade her in her mental capacity, but something like this too?

"Pack several then. I will contact you about our further meeting arrangements. You will receive access codes and other… means of access. Dismissed."

"That's all? You won't even show me around?"

"What for? Your work place is here, beside the computer. You don't need to know anything else. You must master this at first and I doubt it will be easy for you."

"How can you be sure? You know nothing about me or my abilities! Don't you think you are judging too early?"

"You are an inexperienced student, what is there even to judge? You've done nothing yet in your life worth mentioning."

"And since you are a genius you have the right to talk big? You think you are all experienced being stuck in this lab 24/7?"

"This is my tenth international conference. And yes, those diplomas give me some right to talk big, as you put it."

He totally crashed her and she knew it, and she knew he knew it. But she will show him. She will show Jimmy Neutron how big she can talk. Hadn't she spent all her elementary school years doing just that?

…

Cynthia Aurora Vortex was tough. Nobody could deny her that. And when she put a goal she reached it no matter how hard it was. And preparations for the conference were hard. It took her several days only to work through other presentations' topics, since she had no background knowledge on the discussed subjects. It was simply too early for her to know the stuff.

And of course, Neutron didn't even mention what exactly were her tasks as his assistant, except for accompanying him to evening drink receptions. What was she supposed to be doing for five days? Unpack his luggage?

At the same time she was preparing her own research statement for her curator so they could discuss her final paper in detail.

Her boss paid her little mind and even less attention. Her main communication went through Aurora. Unfortunately, being only a computer now, she couldn't answer general questions or give tips about behaving around her master. Cindy stopped on professionally distant approach, but sometimes… Sometimes Neutron made her blood boil, but she shut her trap, because she wanted his reference in her file. She had to admit that it would do her a lot of good in the future. But damn, it was hard to not send him to the depths of Hell with his know-it-all attitude.

They were rehearsing (once again!) Professor Neutron's speech. There was no point in having an assistant who was told what and when to do. The synchronization with his words and her movements must've been perfect. And the speech was nothing like a five minute presentation it was at least an hour long with diagrams and samples and tables and even video. Cindy had practically memorized it already, but she still didn't do everything at the exact needed second.

"Damn, such a waste of precious time," professor cursed. "Can't you do anything right?"

"I can leave," Cindy spat back defensively.

"And what about extra credit?"

"Hell with it if you don't understand that I can't read your thoughts. I can't do a countdown from certain words in the text and visuals' demonstrations. But I sure as Hell can stand up and leave and you will be left with nothing at all. That surely will be an embarrassment, won't it, professor?"

"Hardly. It would be a lot easier if you were not with me."

"How come?"

And then Cindy saw it. For just a moment Jimmy Neutron resurfaced with his pain and insecurities, but it all disappeared as he tilted his head down thus hiding his eyes from her view. "I should've told you sooner, but you seem to be a strong person, so… "

Cindy frowned. Where was he going with that? Weren't such conferences places where such genius as he found himself in heaven? And why should _she_ be strong?

"They don't like me there. Practically nobody does. Everyone still consider me an upstart who considers himself a genius. The world of science has that very science on the tenth place of priorities. At best. They are all jealous that I patent at least one invention every year and those patents give me enough money to have my own laboratory. They don't know how difficult it is to run everything alone! Damn! This doesn't concern you anyway. What does concern you is that those highly educated scientists are a bunch of gossip hens. So there will be questions about me, about you, about us. About Aurora," he paused to swallow. "I didn't hide her non-human origin, I was proud I could compile something they were only dreaming to do. Imagine what they talked about when I appeared with a robotic girlfriend… Hah, but you must know already, we were and still are the only topic those gossiping girls are babbling about. As if they could know anything about us… Excuse me for drifting off the topic all the time, I just want to warn you about tactless personal questions concerning our relationship. Just tell them the truth."

"Which is?"

"That Aurora is no more and you are only a temporary replacement. And don't think I am blind."

"Blind about what?"

"Aurora and yours face features' similarity is only a coincidence. Such things happen. Even if rarely."

"_So he thinks it to be only a coincidence. He doesn't even give it another thought. I don't believe there is a way to completely erase a person from someone's memory. Aurora's face is a proof to that. But why me? It could've been anyone. Even Betty Quinlan. Still… why doesn't Jimmy remember me?_"

….

The conference was held at University of Chicago, so Albert was used as the means of reaching their destination.

"I want you to have this," Professor Neutron said, handing Cindy a device that looked like a netbook. With atomic symbol, of course.

"Why not a PDA?"

"Half of the corpus is taken by the cooling system. So let's say, it is a very special PDA."

"And I need it for…"

"Everything, Miss Vortex. It has direct connection to Aurora, so if you don't find something on your own, then she will help you."

"So now she is the brain and I am the legs," Cindy stated, obviously not appreciating her status.

"And the hands."

"Hands?"

"That's why I… needed Aurora. Another pair of hands to pay the bills, restock, fill up my schedule, coordinate my work inside and out of the lab, you know, this kinda of staff."

"You didn't mention, cleaning up after you," Cindy remarked with disgust towards men in general and her current company in particular. To create a super intelligence for such trivial tasks, and to think that he deemed himself above such things! Genius her ass!

"Because she didn't. It is Justin's job."

"Justin's?"

"My household robot."

"Oh."

"I didn't think of you as a cookies' person, Vortex."

"Huh?"

"Libby said that you brought them cookies as a greeting present. Do you still rent the house there?"

"Oh, you mean that," Cindy drawled, trying to prolong the pause, but only to the limit of it being natural. She had no idea how to uphold the lie she and Libby made up. Thankfully, he didn't have a lie detector, but he _was_ too smart for his own good. "I was renting the house only for the holidays. Wanted to leave everything behind for some time. Studies can be really stressful at time, as you probably know. But on Christmas I found myself alone in a big house and suddenly longed for company. Any company. So I bought, certainly didn't make myself, some cookies and went to the neighboring house. I had no idea you knew each other."

"The Estevezs are my childhood friends. We try to maintain some relationship, but now they have children already, so… Hopefully, my Christmas present will be of assistance."

"Another robot?"

"No, just a check. Goddard, (you saw Goddard, right?) must provide enough help."

"Don't you consider a check to be too impersonal present for people you know from childhood?"

"It may seem so, but they know better what they need. With Sheen's job they don't lack finance, but still. Extra cash is always good to have. They haven't been on a vacation for some time."

'_How heartless. Could've bought some toys for the kids. But knowing him, he would've bought Monopoly for the newborns who can't even speak yet._' "What does Sheen do exactly?"

"Ultra Lord computer games."

"No way!" Cindy wasn't surprised by the fact that Sheen's mania lasted till adulthood, but making money out of it? No way!

"Indeed. He made a true breakthrough in the merchandise when he suggested introducing Ultra Queen so the girls can take part in the action. Libby's influence no doubt. So there appeared comics which instantly disappeared from shelves. Which was a good sign and so came action figures and other supporting paraphernalia. Sheen ended up with writing scripts for the games, cause he was literally _bursting_ with ideas. It was his dream, you know. To be a part of his idol, the Ultra Lord."

"But isn't he an adult now? With his own family to bring up? Isn't it abnormal to remain in his childhood dream when he has his own children already?"

"The point is, Vortex, that they both have families now. Sheen and Ultra Lord, I mean. The twins won't appear till this season's seventh episode."

"You watch this stuff?"

"Some light entertainment. I _am_ a technical consultant of sorts."

"This is nuts," Cindy concluded, crossing arms over her chest. Instinctively she noticed that there was absolutely no reaction from Neutron. Usually a guy in front of her at least threw a glance at her breasts when she did that, if not more, because there was definitely something to look at.

"As if your opinion concerns me."

A red lamp flashed on the ceiling – they were landing.

…..

An hour later Cindy had understood why Professor Neutron needed extra pair of hands. Only parking the jet was a headache giving procedure which needed clearance with several officials. The procedure had standard paperwork, but somebody had to do it. And who else by Neutron's newest assistant? Finally, Albert was left in the assigned hanger and they proceeded to the hotel where Cindy planned to take a refreshing bath before the evening introduction ceremony. No such luck.

The remaining time till the departure was spent discussing and putting in writing the exams' plan for the end of the semester that was roughly three months away. The point? To plan efficiently the time remaining in between, because a series of experiments must be conducted and patents renewed and lectures read, articles published and so on and so forth, till Cindy's head was splitting in four.

"Wait a minute, professor," Cindy began, looking at different homework deadlines in his schedule. "I won't be able to meet the deadline you set for tomorrow. I mean the report on the experiment you assigned."

"Why?"

"Because I am here. I can't possible do it with all the action here. Not to mention, I can't use a laboratory to do the experiment itself."

"You should've thought about that before, Vortex."

"But you assigned it only two days ago!"

"Your problem. You are still a student so you must do your assignments as everybody else does. Extra credit is taken in spare time, at one's own risk. I am sure you can find a spare lab at Chicago's University. If you still want that file spotless, that is."

Cindy wanted to say… a lot of bad things, but clenched her teeth and went to take her deserved bath.

…

Cynthia Vortex considered herself a woman of class. Her last party was awhile ago, but she hasn't forgotten how to present herself in front of men. For the first evening she chose a cocktail dress of champagne color. It was modest, but elegant. She didn't want to be looked at like a bimbo among people of science. She doubted her being the only woman at the 'party', but the youngest for sure. Should she prove herself to be a force to be reckoned with or just to keep her role of a sufficient assistant? Speaking of assistance… The image of Jimmy Neutron in a tux on James Fusion's wedding resurfaced in her mind. Intrigued, she stepped into the small living room that joined their bedrooms in the hotel room and was rooted to the spot by the view of two long legs in black pants stretching from under the newspaper.

"You ready?" came from behind the paper.

"Only will take my purse."

"Don't forget Aurora."

"What for?"

"For everything." Neutron stood up and dusted off his tuxedo. "We are going to work, not to show off your legs."

Cindy humphed pulling on her knee length skirt. And what was that right now? A compliment? Just in case she put the netbook into her purse, thankfully it fit. "You look pale," she suddenly remarked, noticing his unhealthy face color. His wearing a white lab coat all the time made the face look white too. But now the contrast with the black suit showed the skin's true color. "Have you taken you medication today?"

"Since when you are my nanny?"

"I am your assistant, it is a part of my job." Cindy returned to her room and took out several tablets from her bag. Two weeks ago she discovered that her boss was prescribed medication after the operation which he ignored, thinking he can do much better on his own. But as all scientists, health was not at the beginning on his priorities. Of course, Cindy didn't want to take upon herself another responsibility, but with no medication she will have no boss.

The day of the 'accident' was never mentioned. As if it never happened. No suicide attempt, no hospitalization, no operation, and of course, no former assistant's death. Cindy didn't know how to act about the whole thing. The impact was certainly made on both of them, and Cindy wanted to talk about it. To know what was happening between him and Aurora, not because of silly girlish curiosity, but because she wanted to understand and because she herself began seeing that something was wrong about Professor Neutron. She made inquires and get to know that he didn't take any therapy. Bluntly refused it. Cindy believed that no matter how smart and how heartless he was, Neutron couldn't just forget about it, switch something off inside him, and live on. But maybe he did? Just as he did with her? But Aurora still lived in the laboratory's main computer, she was still a part of Neutron's life. Was her continuing existence nullifying the suicide attempt's reasons?

"These are totally pointless," professor said, swallowing the pills dry.

"You don't have a medical degree to say that," Cindy objected, feeling like scolding a small boy.

"Even if I am an engineer doesn't mean, I don't have common sense. Those pills are messing with my thinking process. I can't complete any invention because of them!"

'_So there is a crisis!_' "I think we should go. The car will arrive soon."

"Your first sensible thought."

"I won't comment on that."

"You could make a decent assistant after all."

"Shut up."

"Or maybe not."

Cindy took a deep breath to calm herself and headed to the door, but it was opened before she managed to turn the door-knob and held so she could pass. She threw Neutron a questioning glance. "Is there no place for manners in your laboratory?"

"Laboratory is a special place."

"You mean, it's a place where you are God and nobody else matters?"

"Were you talking about the car?"

"Whatever."

….

The ceremony was held in the hall of the University of Chicago which was now crowded with men and women of different ages and specialties. They were standing in groups mostly, actively discussing something. Cindy suddenly became nervous – she didn't belong here. What will she talk about if anybody asks her? Will she also be treated as an upstart who wants to make a career by using a young professor, maybe even sleeping with him?

"Stay by me and don't talk. After an hour we will grab Tom and get out of here," Neutron said softly, leaving his signature at the entrance to mark his presence.

"Tom?"

"Tomas Clayton, the curator of your work," he replied, already searching the crowd for someone, probably Tom.

"Oh. So I am just staying cool and look pretty. But what about the questions you talked about?"

"We will move too fast for someone to notice. Hopefully."

And he did sound hopeful. '_Why are we here if he doesn't want to be?_'

"Oh James! You are finally here!" came somewhere from the left.

"Damn. Remember what I said – say nothing and, preferably, don't drink anything."

They neared a group of men. From the materials Professor Neutron supplied Cindy knew that they were his former co-students.

"Who is this beautiful woman with you? Is she real?" one of them asked with clear text behind the lines.

"This is my new assistant. One of my students," Neutron answered curtly. "How is your research going? Made any progress?"

"Indeed. We were just discussing it. Want to join our table?"

"No, thank you, Marcus. We will hear it all at your speech the day after tomorrow, won't we?"

With that Neutron took Cindy by her elbow and led her away without as much as a good bye to Marcus and his companions. They mingled in the crowd, sometimes stopped to throw some words with other scientists. Cindy hasn't said a word, but she listened intently to everything around her. Professor Neutron was mostly addressed as James, because of his age or disrespect to his professor status. It was difficult to tell. The majority also asked if she was a real woman. Cindy already wanted to scream, "Do I really look like a robot?" but kept her mouth shut. She was most surprised that only two women asked about Aurora's well-being. Others only wanted to know if she was another robotic fetish of James Neutron.

Sometime later (Cindy was not sure how much time past with all the knowledge she had to absorb during conversations), Neutron visibly relaxed and pulled her once again, but this time he certainly had a destination.

They neared a man in his late thirties whom Cindy instantly recognized from the photos on his books and articles.

"Tom, I would like you to meet Cynthia Vortex," Neutron introduced without any preamble.

"Hello, James, Miss Vortex," Tomas greeted with a slight bow. "I am very glad that we managed to meet here in person. I think we have a lot to discuss with you, but the opportunities are scarce during this conference."

"Don't be so uptight, Tom. We both know that the opportunity can be made whenever we both want it to."

"You haven't changed in the slightest, James. I hoped that this year added some experience, turned you into a real scientist…"

"That he certainly is," Cindy blurted out without thinking, relaxed by the friendly atmosphere of the conversation.

Thomas threw a strange look at her, then back at the topic of their discussion. "So do you have a car waiting, James?"

"Most certainly," Neutron replied with a smirk.

"What car?" Cindy asked confused. She definitely didn't book any car, but she was dragged somewhere once again.

The trio left the university and Neutron pressed some buttons on a small remote control. Several minutes later a gust of powerful wind almost ruined Cindy's haircut. "The hovercar," she breathed out. But it was not the orange-grey hovercar of her childhood. It was three times larger and had a glass roof. "Where did it come from? Was it stored on Albert?" she questioned her boss, who seemed to have secrets from his assistant. Pointless secrets.

"Does it matter?" Neutron asked, pressing another button, and the roof slid away. "You first, Tom."

"No way. I am not that crazy to ride on this thing."

"It is completely safe," Neutron reassured, but his older colleague still seemed to hesitate.

"Does it have a ladder? I can't get in when it's hovering like that," Cindy said, nearing the contraption from the passenger's side. She always rode there, to take the controls if needed. The car owner didn't remember that however.

It didn't have one, but with another button it got low enough for Cindy to get in without taking her skirt up to her waist. With grumping and cursing Thomas got in too, Neutron _jumped_ in like a school boy and they were off.

Their travelling point turned to be a bar in one of the Chicago hotels, a quiet and practically empty place, but with a name big enough to have customers in evening attire.

"Do you plan to skip all the evenings like this?" Cindy asked, sitting down on the couch in a booth of their choice. "If yes, I don't see the point to dress up." She indeed did not, but at the same wondered how someone can look better in a tux with undone bow-tie than in a tux with all buttons fastened.

"I like to have my conversations in a more private atmosphere. But don't worry, this time is the only one, unfortunately."

"Here are the drinks," Thomas announced, putting three glasses with colorful liquids onto the table.

"You can't drink alcohol while you are on medication, professor," Cindy said strictly, taking one of the glasses away just a moment before Neutron's hand closed around it.

"Medication, James? Why will you need it?"

Seeing as her boss was not planning to answer, Cindy took the liberty to explain. "He bumped his head. Real hard. Mostly painkillers and sedatives."

"But then… the brain's activity will lower-"

"That's what I am telling her! I can't work with stars in front of my eyes all the time!" the genius complained.

"Then you should've thought about it before hitting that big head of yours!" Cindy shot back. It was the first time they mentioned the accident and the events that led to it. And obviously Neutron didn't want to talk about anything even remotely connected to it.

"Break, you two. We will discuss this topic some other time. And don't even start objecting, James. We certainly will. But now I want to talk about Miss Vortex's research. Is it for real?"

First people were asking if she was real, now if her research was real. What was the matter with them? "I can assure you it is absolutely real, Doctor Clayton."

"But it can take years to produce some real result. Even decades. And how are you planning to test your prototypes? Do you have someone in your group to make them? Meaning, you are not an engineer yourself, as I understood."

"Yes, I've found a guy from the engineering department, and he is willing to try. He considers it an interesting challenge."

"A challenge, ha!" Neutron grunted. "You are dealing with lives here, not just numbers and drawings on paper."

'_Well, _you_ declined_!' Cindy almost hissed, but clenched her teeth once again. '_Men!_' "I've already started gathering theoretical material and sent an outline to your email, Doctor Clayton."

"A very efficient assistant you've got yourself, James. I am jealous."

"Take her if you like, to me she is nothing but a snail."

"Excuse me!" Cindy cried outraged. "I've done everything you asked and in time too."

"That's the problem, Vortex, in time is not enough."

"Don't be harsh on her, James. She is only starting her long walk in the world of science."

"Well, now you can walk together, and I am going to sleep." Neutron stood up and swung slightly. "Damn pills."

"You can't drive in this condition," Cindy stated, gathering her things ready to go.

"Autopilot," he responded with a dismissive gesture and left the bar.

"You must do something about those pills, Miss Vortex. He hasn't even-"

"Said good bye to you, yes. I don't understand how he can treat people like that."

"No, I meant, he hasn't asked me the question he always does when we meet. But you must excuse James's behavior, he doesn't interact with people much."

"That I gathered. So what is this question, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all. James wants me to join his laboratory as his partner."

"And you keep saying no? Why?"

"James is too much for me. For everybody I think. He is completely independent from any organization or institute, he can do whatever he wants. And I envy him for that."

"But if you join him, then you too will be independent."

"The problem is that he doesn't need anyone to make his science so to say. He doesn't need additional staff and specialists. He doesn't need me either, as a scientist, I mean. He just needs a friend."

…

By the lunch of the next day Cindy's head was about to burst from all the speeches and discussions. She also noticed that the assistants were mostly young men, probably apprentices.

She knew that it was not exactly legal but she recorded the discussions with the help of mini-Aurora. She also noticed that Professor Neutron participated in almost all of them. During breaks in between presentations he stared at his laptop, not even saying a word to her. Shouldn't they exchange opinions about the just heard? Was she only a helping tool with not opinion of her own?

"Whoa!" he suddenly exclaimed, his face – an expression of cheer surprise.

"Something the matter, professor?" Cindy asked nonchalantly, but shaking with mirth on the inside. She had a very good guess for the reason of his reaction.

"Your assignment… And the deadline is tomorrow…"

"You said that in time was not enough."

"Of course, the quality of the work will be the deciding factor, but I just wonder… What do you want to prove?"

Oh yes, the question of the hour. Why did she do all that? To prove that she was better than him? Hardly. He had a doctoral degree already. To show she was the best in her class? Maybe, but what's the point? He singled her out of the whole group only because she hadn't been paying attention. Then to prove that she was not a fool? But he already agreed to that since he made her his assistant, even if temporary one. Then maybe she wanted to show that she was worthy to assist him? And even if she does that, what next? She had her own degree to receive, she _didn't_ want to be his assistant. Then another question arises – what the Hell she was doing then? Did she just want to spend time with him for old times' sake? Utter nonsense, but around him Cindy felt an unexplainable drive to work harder, to be better, to reach that practically unachievable height of his.

"Speed doesn't always mean accuracy, Miss Vortex. I am giving you an A only because of the originality of your approach."

Cindy sighed in admitting defeat since Neutron sounded completely serious. She was still far from his standard. '_What am I thinking about? Since when did Neutron have a standard? And, most importantly, since when should I fall under it? It is only an assignment. One of many, and he isn't even one of my teachers. Accurate or not, but I managed to surprise you, James Isaac Neutron, and that's what counts._'


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Three: Could You? Please?**

Cindy returned from Chicago with mixed feelings. The conference and Neutron's presentation went well. She was even praised for her performance. Cindy had several very resourceful conversations with Doctor Clayton, her research paper was given a good start. She even managed to drag her workaholic boss onto the dance floor at the final evening of the conference. She remembered from her childhood years that he was a rather good dancer. Cindy always wondered how could a technical genius manage to excel in something so artistic? And yes, during their dance his movements were smooth and even graceful, but they were empty of any emotion.

Cindy was told to come by the lab several days after their return to finalize her status. She was not exactly glad about the hesitance of her boss. She already came to terms with the fact, that her life would go on as usual the moment she returned to the university. Of course, a small part of her was curious about being an assistant to a genius. Demanding was certainly only the peak of the iceberg, and yet…

Cindy tilted down for her retina to be scanned and entered the laboratory. She followed the already familiar pattern into the inner rooms of the laboratory to find her soon to be ex-boss. She understood right away that in their 'relationship' there were a lot of lines not to be crossed. One of them – not to leave her workplace and wander around the laboratory.

This time, however, Cindy needed to find him and crying out was pretty pointless since there were walls of shelves everywhere. Not to mention, her curiosity on the subject was boundless. And it was her last day so… Cindy passed the computer room, not even peaking inside, and entered the labyrinth of Neutron's lab. She didn't touch anything on principle since who knew what those gadgets could do to her? Her boundless curiosity turned into awe of no bounds. So many interesting things lay or stood around her. Every little tube had its own purpose Cindy wanted to know about. She felt like a small kid in a zoo, who wanted to know the name of every animal. Somewhere in between those tubes and wires Cindy saw a spot of white and headed into that direction.

"Professor Neutron?"

The figure in the lab coat stiffened, but didn't show any other sign of surprise. He finished whatever he was doing and straightened up. Cindy was still amazed by how tall he had grown up.

"I don't remember allowing you entrance here, Miss Vortex," Neutron reproached, turning towards her. Half of his face was covered by… glasses or goggles more likely, but they looked much more elegant than the protective goggles Cindy used in the university laboratories.

"I was just looking for you."

"You could've asked Aurora to send me a message. There is an intercom here."

"Well…"

"Doesn't matter. Let's go to the office."

The computer screen activated upon their entrance. "Good day, Cindy," came Aurora's voice.

"Good day to you too, Aurora. Don't you find it funny that I have a closer relationship with your computer who calls me by my first name than with you?"

"I have a closer relationship with my computer than with you, so my using your last name is completely logical. Not to mention that I am a professor of this establishment."

"It's still strange though." Cindy took her usual place behind the table with the computer controls. "So what did you decide?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I still need those hands… But not all the time."

"Does that mean that you will call upon me and I should leave everything and run to help you?"

"I doubt that it will cause that much inconvenience, but it is possible."

"I don't like doing things halfway. Either I am here or I am not."

"That I noticed. Still, I don't need you all the time. Aurora manages to do all the necessary paperwork. On the other hand, you still have your studies and research. I agree with you on this point – if you are here than you are entirely here. Right now that is definitely not an option. Thus we both agree that you can no longer be my assistant."

The finality of the last sentence was unshakable. Somehow he managed to word the decision in a way that it seemed to belong to Cindy too. "Indeed."

"So about your payment… The letter of recommendation is added to your file as well as your participation in the conference," he drawled as if not sure about the words he was saying. "I also want you to have this."

Cindy examined a small leather case given to her. The opened lid revealed a PDA. Brand new and shiny, on its back was a red atomic symbol. She didn't know how to react to the present. A simple 'thank you' seemed inadequate, so she asked a really stupid thing. "Is it male or female?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you have a strange habit to name your inventions. So this one must have one too."

"You can name it however you like. There is a profile choice on the setup. And one more thing – don't especially advertise your possession of this little toy. It will hit the market only in six months."

"Why haven't I seen your products before? Or I go to the wrong shops?"

"I sell the patents to big companies. This one will come under Samsung brand. As you can see there is no manual, so you can have a lot of fun understanding the controls and applications," he said with a smirk.

Cindy smirked in return. "I doubt it will take much of my time, if I switch it on that is." '_Oh yes, everybody will kill for something like this, but let's see his reaction._'

Only a slight frown, as if he didn't understand her position, but then he shrugged saying, "Do whatever you want with it. I must return to work. My clients think that if I am a genius I can make the impossible, they forget that Laws of Nature are hard to deceive."

Cindy stood up knowing a dismissal when she heard one. She was already on the doorstep when she gathered the courage to voice the question she was not even hoping to receive an answer to. "Professor Neutron… can you tell me about your… failure with making a cyborg Aurora mentioned? I don't want to make the same mistake in my research."

"You won't," he replied grimly.

"How can you be sure?"

"You won't be working with the brain."

"You wanted to implant a cyber brain into a human being?"

"More or less. I wanted to leave the essential parts intact and others exchange for chips for information storage. The IQ level should've been preserved, as well as body functions. Well, it didn't go well."

"How could you possibly give this… creature a high IQ? And who would've even agreed to participate in your human experiments?"

"No one."

The realization hit Cindy like a ton of bricks, making her knees weaken to the point of not being able to stand. She remained in an upright position only because of leaning onto the door frame. "You cloned yourself," she whispered, suddenly afraid of the man in front of her. "But why implant anything in his mind if he was as smart as you?" But the answer came to her mind in another flash. "Of course… you wanted to control him. So he would do only what you wanted, fulfilled his duties, whatever you asked him for. How twisted your genius mind is? To make a robot from your own clone! Why didn't you just make an ordinary robot for God's sake?"

"Look around you, Vortex! What do you see? Why do you think all my machines are voice activated? Why do you think I give them bloody names? There is no-one in here! Not a soul! Day after a day, night after night…"

'_Oh my God, he is having a relapse,_' Cindy thought horrified, watching as he started to shake, his eyes unseeing.

The bedroom was not that far away so Cindy managed to drag the professor to his room and tuck him into bed. She checked the nightstand for the medication and (of course!) he hadn't taken any while she was absent. But pills didn't matter, if only she hadn't yelled at him nothing would've happened. But then again… Among all those perfect machines and his beloved science Professor Neutron, no, James felt lonely.

…

"What are you doing here?" echoed in Cindy's mind that was still deeply asleep. The echo intensified in volume, and her mind somehow managed to understand that it wasn't an echo but a voice from outside, and a very demanding one.

"What?" Cindy rasped, unclasping her eyelids and instantly grabbing her hurting neck. Sleeping in a sitting position was the worst way to spend the night.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" Neutron asked once again.

Cindy looked him over – nothing indicated of the events of the previous night, he looked rested enough. The lab coat was discarded, leaving him wearing jeans and a shirt. The simple outfit transformed him into one of her course mates. The realization hit her enough to fully wake up. With all the ethical distance between them Cindy had forgotten that they were the same age.

"I staid so nothing… bad would happen," Cindy finally replied, going threw her hair and not even wanting to know how she was looking like at that moment.

"And why could that be possible?"

'_Doesn't he remember what happened yesterday?_' "You had a nervous breakdown, which was my fault and I am sorry for it. But it was only partly my fault. You didn't take you medication. Now why is that?"

"I needed to finish my work!" he spurted back in answer. "This place can blow up if my head is not clear!"

"Then don't work at all! Take a break. Go on a vacation!"

"Are you still in kindergarten, Vortex? I have to complete contracts worth _millions_! I can't just decide to have a trip to Hawaii."

Cindy's comeback was interrupted by the opening of the door without any ceremony. "Wake up, James. It's time to have another wonderful day of science," a robotic voice practically sang, its owner rolled into the room, nearing the bed. It blinked several times, obviously not understanding how his master was sitting already in the bed instead of sleeping, as he always did at that time.

"Thank you, Justin. I am already awake."

"Breakfast is in twenty minutes." And the middle-sized robot rolled out of the room.

"Now that you see that I am completely alright, you can leave."

"I won't, until you take your medication," Cindy retorted firmly.

Neutron sighed in defeat. "God, you are annoying. Okay, bathroom is through that door if you want to freshen up. I'll go tell Justin to do two portions."

Cindy gaped at his retreating form unable to fathom what had just happened. She was asked to have breakfast with a professor? With Jimmy Neutron? Surreal…

She however didn't want to put shame on herself and rushed to the bathroom which was also very simple and had all necessacities, but nothing excessive. Having no idea where the eating place was, Cindy oriented by sound and found a small kitchen with a table and a row of machinery for cooking, as she could only guess, because interior looked nothing like an ordinary kitchen. Justin wheeled back and forth, cutting, flipping, mixing and shaking with his three pair of hands. She quietly sat down behind the table and watched as the robot finished cooking and began serving the table. She doubted the programming allowed him to uphold a conversation and make breakfast simultaneously so she sat and waited patiently for the lab's owner to join her.

"I repeat that you shouldn't have staid here tonight," Neutron stated, taking his place at the table and diving into his pancakes with syrup.

"I was afraid you could… harm yourself," Cindy said, tasting the pancakes that were quite good. Ideal actually.

"What nonsense, I'll never do anything unreasonable," he grunted in between mouthfuls.

'_It is definitely not the right time, but when I will have another opportunity?_' "So the car accident before… it had reasons behind it?"

"Your room-mate's habits rubbing on you?"

"Huh?"

"Since when are you a shrink?"

"And since when are you good in deflecting? Since talking to walls all the time?" '_Damn, that's was certainly not the right thing to say._'

"I don't see how it is as any of your business. Not in the slightest. In less than an hour you walk out of this lab and we won't ever have dealings together," Neutron rapped out icily.

"You are right, but only partly. Don't forget that I was Aurora's friend, if only for a short time. I have the idea about your situation. I am not a total stranger. And you, you must talk to someone, because otherwise you will be forced to take pills for who knows how long." Noticing his still skeptical look, she added, "You can erase my memory later, if you want."

The skepsis changed to astonishment. "Erase your memory? Are you nuts?"

"But you can do it, so why not? I understand your hesitance. We barely know each other, but, believe me, I am not doing it just because of some stupid curiosity for gossip. Once I… drove my close friends away by not talking to them, and the guilt had been eating me for years. Of course, the situation is not that similar to yours, but sharing with other person does help. Or this 'reason' will nag you to no end and you won't be able to work properly. Admittance is the first step to recovery." Cindy took a deep breath after her small lecture and waited for the other party to say something. She doubted he would open up to her-

"Aurora was not supposed to leave me." A long pause. "Humans have this tendency… To leave eventually. Relatives – die. Friends – grow up and began their own lives, start families thus have less and less time for you. Even if you find a person you wish to marry, there is still a chance that your partner will find somebody else and leave you. Aurora was made and programmed not to leave me under _any_ circumstances, and definitely she was not supposed to die as she did. It was absolutely impossible."

"But humans are not immortal, they get sick, they change the course of the lives, it is completely natural. Ordinary people are no saints. The same with machines – they need maintenance, go out of order, break. The risk is always there. It is what life is about."

"The point is, Miss Vortex, that I am not an ordinary man. Even if sometimes I wish I was. I made Aurora with my own hands. Every wire, every centimeter of her skin, every chip. She was absolutely perfect from all aspects. Any scientist has the right to die after creating something like that," his voice trembled, but he took himself together. "But I wanted to live. Together with her. To invent, to teach, to go shopping… Having a supercomputer was not enough for me - it must've had a physical form. Someone to freely talk to, who could rub your neck when you are tired, the list is endless. And before you say it, no woman who can basically do all this, especially as young as me, can survive my way of life.

When Aurora died, I understood that my destiny was to remain alone, since I won't be able to make another ideal woman. As I said, I don't even want to. My greatest creation completed…"

"You didn't have any reason to live," Cindy finished for him. She wanted to do something to make him feel better; hold his hand, stroke his back, even hug him. Anything to somehow console him, to show that he was not alone. But did she have the right? Was there needed a certain level of intimacy established between two people to act like this? Ten years back she would've never hesitated to console her friend, even if in her special challenging teasing way. "But I don't believe Aurora was your greatest creation," Cindy uttered slowly in a neutral tone.

"How dare you?" Neutron blew up right away, obviously insulted by her assumption.

"I am sure you have a lot more ingenious inventions in that big head of yours," she said with a small smile, indicating that her previous statement was as far from degrading as possible. Her companion smiled in return. Cindy beamed – it was his first real smile since Aurora's death. "But I still insist you have a vacation. At least for a week. You can visit your parents."

"And what will I do there?"

"Relax. You can also babysit the twins. That won't be as relaxing, not to mention loud and crazy… But you can receive new experience. For your future children, for example."

"I am not going to have children," Neutron stated firmly, leaving no room for discussion on the subject.

"Why not? You are young and-"

"Genii are born to change the world not to follow basic instincts as the remaining part of humanity."

"Don't you think you take too much on yourself?" Cindy asked with sarcasm.

"And don't you take too much on yourself by lecturing me?" Neutron barked in response.

Suddenly Cindy laughed.

"What's so bloody funny?" he spat not actually angered but purely surprised by her sudden emotion.

'_We are bickering the same way as in elementary school! He even has the same fire in his eyes! The fire that always ignited a spark inside me. God I missed that feeling._' "Nothing. Just a memory."

"You finished with breakfast?"

"Huh?"

"Your food."

"Oh." Cindy looked at her plate where remained her long forgotten breakfast. "I am done."

"Justin, the breakfast is finished," he commanded and the robot came to life, quickly taking away the cutlery. "Now I will show you the biggest secret of my laboratory."

Cindy followed the young professor through a white corridor she had never stepped in due to the restriction of the wandering in the lab. They passed several doors to mysterious rooms that looked more like safe vaults. In the end of the hall was a door that was protected by another retina scanner. Neutron opened it to reveal a hall that by Cindy's calculations must've been somewhere near the cafeteria.

"A back door?" she asked confused by the comment about secrecy. "And why are you letting me out this way?"

"Do you want the whole university to know that you entered the lab at 8 p.m. and left at 8 a.m.?"

Cindy's cheeks turned pink. "I don't think that could be good for my file."

"You came at eight and left around nine. Your friend invited you for a sleepover and since you didn't have plans you agreed. If you room-mate hadn't left yesterday to have a party of her own then this story would suffice."

"But the camera-"

"Aurora can add the needed data even without my interference."

"Okay then. Good bye," Cindy uttered, staring at her feet. Her reluctance to leave surprised her. But she admitted that she didn't want it to be over. That relationship, whatever it was, to end.

"Thank you, Vortex. For… having a soon-to-be shrink as a room-mate."

Cindy smiled. '_He really wanted to talk to someone, he just didn't know who to turn to. Could it be a sign of his trust?_' "It was all me. And my room-mate's name is Michelle."

"Yes, yes, Michelle Thompson. Gives me a headache at least once a week. Their pestering messes with my work, nothing more."

"I'll try. But you must understand that you _are_ a phenomenon. It is natural for the curiosity about a professor as young as you to be awakened."

"I am just a scientist, nothing more nothing less."

"Good day, and think about the vacation we discussed."

She was already half the way through the hall when Neutron hailed her, "Hey, Vortex! I have some designs that I need assistance with. Come whenever you are free."

The door closed, but Cindy still couldn't make another step, rooted to the spot by his last words. '_What have just happened?_ _And what will happen next?_'


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Four: What Was That?**

"What are you doing?"

"I am putting the letter."

"But if you put it this way then the main mechanism won't fit!"

"But if I don't put it this way, the letter will look crooked, and no kid will like it."

"But if you put it this way, the toy won't work at all!"

"And since when are you dealing with toys for little children, professor?" Cindy asked in a mocking tone.

"Since I need money to run independent experiments and I've been wanting to try out the 3D projection mode for quite some time. That's why I took this project. Satisfied?"

"3D projection?"

"Well, the title '3D Zoo' is not empty words, Vortex. The device (which you are so rudely neglecting) inside the toy allows kids see the animals' holographic images in 3D mode in addition to hearing the corresponding sounds. The image doesn't move, but only because the device for that needs a lot of additional machinery. It will be used some other time."

"You mean, you already have it?" Cindy asked with fascination. Of course, holograms were not big deal, but moving ones? She could only find him in sci-fi books.

Neutron took out a small box and flipped the lid open. After several seconds appeared a figure of a woman shining from the electronic particles she was made off.

"Hello, Cindy," Aurora greeted with a wave of her holographic hand.

"Holy shit," Cindy whispered, staring at the little figure not larger than twenty centimeters. It looked exactly like Aurora in her lab coat. The voice was the same to the last intonation. "But how?"

"Aurora, in her essence, is a computer program, so she can be easily transferred from one computer to another."

"Neat."

"You can say so," Neutron responded nonchalantly, but his small smile showed he was pleased by the praise. The lid returned to its place, and the box to his pocket.

"What is it, by the way?"

"Remote Aurora."

"Like the netbook you gave me on the conference?"

"No, just Aurora. But she sends everything onto my laptop, or any other laptop I assign. But back to the designs, the toy must be on the production management's table in a month."

Cindy sighed, but turned back to Aurora's screen where the design of the external part of the toy was. It was not difficult to make up the basic idea and the letters; the buttons with animal names were not much trouble too; the coloring… no special gradients needed. But it was so… tiring! Especially with her boss commenting on the wrongfulness of her actions every minute. At least.

"Why can't you do it yourself? This way you will know exactly if it fits or not."

"Because it is not my specialty. My work is with electronics and programming. I simply can't do…"

"Can't do what? Is there even something you can't do?" Cindy teased.

"Artistic stuff."

Cindy noticed there was no shame in his voice, simple statement of the fact. '_Yeah, that's was the main stumbling rock in our 'competition'. Does that mean that with years he learned to admit that he is not the best at everything? Interesting…_' "Didn't you tell that Aurora had artistic skills? Or she lost this part after… well…" Cindy was not able to finish the phrase and busied herself with the keyboard. Was it for her sake or his? Did Aurora's death put that of an impact? They were not _that_ close. '_I saw myself dying. That must be it. That's why I can't say it._'

"She does. But she doesn't have something we usually call 'fantasy'. She can make accurate choices to put right things into the room, but she chooses from the things already made. So are you near finishing? I've got other work to do."

"Then why are you standing here? I can work on my own. You have Aurora in your pocket, I am sure she can assist you despite me being here," Cindy shushed the proclaimed genius, but then gave it a thought. Why _was_ he standing beside her? Wish for human contact?

"I don't want you to mess anything."

"If I do, we can correct it later. So no worries. Do you have a 3D model of the mechanism so I could 'put on' the model I am working on?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? Don't you have anything like it? How can you tell if it fits at all?"

"I just know."

"And I don't. I am sure it will take you no time to provide me with one," Cindy issued a challenge.

Professor Neutron shrugged and walked out of the office. Several minutes later he returned, connected Remote Aurora with the main Aurora and a picture of another model appeared on the screen. It was hard to decipher anything on it, since, firstly, it was only a structural image, and secondly – it was full on tiny details.

It came to Cindy's attention that she had not got even a glimpse of the toy's interior. Was it some big secret?

"Now you can finish it. And as you see," one model covered the other, "I was right. It doesn't fit. So you need to elevate the whole section."

Cindy only grunted in response. '_Always right, dammit_.'

"And since I am still standing here, I want to discuss the matter of your payment for the current project."

"Only current project?"

"I thought we've already discussed that. Your studies first, extra credit - on voluntarily basis. Tom will skin me alive, quite literally, if he finds out that I am taking your time. I won't be needing your assistance for some time anyway."

"Nothing artistic to do?"

"Yes, and please stay on the topic. So what do you want?"

"What do I want?.." Cindy drawled, sounding like a child who can't choose a candy. "I can ask for anything?"

"Of course not."

"Can I ask for a personal favor?"

"You are not in my fan club, are you?" Neutron asked with disgust, but mostly fear.

"Hell no!"

"Glad to hear that. So what personal favor can you possibly want from me?"

"Your voice."

"What?"

"There is a selection of voices on the PDA you gave me, but yours is not among them. I attempted to hack into Aurora and get the pattern with your voice that she uses for voice recognition, but she was not polite enough to give it to me."

Neutron chuckled, but then burst into outright laughing. "You attempted to hack into _my_ computer? Are you nuts? You could've been burnt alive! Or crushed by the steel wall! It is my main computer for God's sake! And all for my voice? Ridiculous, Vortex! Utterly ridiculous!"

"So if you are done with insulting me, can I download the patterns already?" Cindy huffed. She knew it was totally foolish to even get near Aurora without her access level. '_Are we in the FBI? Access levels – _this_ is totally ridiculous._' But she didn't want him to know about her… what? Fetish? She just loved his voice, slightly drawling, but edgy. So why can't her PDA have his voice? She did call it Jimmy after all.

"Only if you name the reason."

"You won't like it."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You know, Vortex, this is the first time during many years that I find myself puzzled about a question. I have no idea about the possible reason you want my voice in your PDA."

"You really want to know?"

"Of course."

"But first I will get what I deserve, and then I will answer you."

"Damn, woman! What's wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing," Cindy answered, fake innocence all other her face.

"Okay, give it to me." Cindy obliged and after multiple manipulations on both computers, her precious Jimmy was returned to her. "Now tell."

"It helps me get to sleep," Cindy answered and returned to the poor models, biting her lip, not to use her turn to laugh.

…

"I can't fathom how he can be this irresponsible. This is absolutely intolerable, not to mention, simply unprofessional."

"I completely agree with you. I will talk to the rector about the situation. He keeps all kinds if materials, radioactive and the like without any special protection."

"The next explosion in Neutron's lab can make the whole university go caboom!"

Cindy would've completely ignored the heated discussion among two professors in the hall if it had not been for the last phrase. "Excuse me, there was an explosion at Professor Neutron's laboratory?" she asked politely, but her legs were ready to have a quick start on running towards the lab at the other end of the university.

"Indeed. What an irresponsible boy! If you had been in the east wing today, around two a.m. then you could've felt something like an earthquake."

"Oh my God!" Cindy exclaimed, finally letting her feet carry her. '_There was an explosion in the lab, and nobody cares if he is alright! Now that's irresponsible!_ _What if he is hurt?_ _What if he is dying?_'

She stopped only in front of the lab to catch her breath. Passing the scanner she hurried to the office. On the way there she looked around, but nothing indicated that there had been a malfunction of any sort.

"Aurora?" she called hesitantly, looking at the completely black screen.

It instantly came alive however. "Good day, Cindy."

"Is everything alright? I heard there was an explosion and-"

"Yes, there was one. So what?" came from behind her.

Cindy swiveled around to see her boss in a dirty lab coat with greasy gloves. "Well, something bad could've happened. A fire, anything."

"If you want to make a good researcher, Vortex, get used to the idea that science is dangerous. A little miscalculation and the experiment goes into the sky taking researchers with it. Haven't you noticed your studying labs have all kinds of protection layers?"

"Yes, but here-"

"This whole laboratory is a huge safe. Steel walls were the first adjustment I made building this lab. Not to mention, fire extinguishing system. You seem to keep your nose too deep into the books, Vortex. To be afraid of something like this is outright silly," Neutron explained in a patronizing tone, that Cindy didn't exactly liked being used towards her.

"I am not afraid of explosions. I've done stuff much more dangerous," she responded defensively. '_Why can't I say it? Why can't I tell him that I was worried about him? We are grownups but still act like children. Why can't we talk about such things? But of course, because he doesn't remember how far/close we were in the first place. Now we are practically strangers._'

"Oh really?" Neutron questioned not believing a word she said. "Since you are here anyway…" He stepped to the main table and took out a box from one of the drawers. "I heard your research is moving into the experimenting stage, also your birthday is in three days."

"Huh?" Cindy stared at the box that was shoved into her hands. It was nothing extraordinary, just a black box, not even wrapped to make it look less like a tiny coffin. Inside it were goggles Cindy noticed him use during working at the lab. "And why do I receive a birthday present from you?" the assistant asked her boss.

"Otherwise you will spend decades on your research. With these you can see everything."

"Everything?"

"The present is not the goggles themselves but the manual for them. They have close to hundred functions. In addition to being unbreakable."

"Thank you very much, I don't know what to say," Cindy mumbled, gazing at the precious accessory in an unremarkable box. "When can my friends buy the same?"

"Those are beyond expensive. There are only two pairs in existence. The one you are holding belonged to Aurora. Before you start protesting on this reason or another; these goggles provide borderless help to any researcher, it is pointless for them to lie on a shelf. You, Vortex, have brains, but this is an ordinary fact. What is special about you is that you have talent – wish and strength to make anything possible. Don't waste it on meaningless things."

….

Cynthia Vortex was feeling marvelous. Her research was going at enormous speed: her group was making breakthroughs almost every day. They decided to work on feet, using dogs as experimental animals because of their relatively big size. They were far from doing any practical tests on real dogs, but their small metallic foot was already pretty active on its own.

Cindy decided to stay over the summer to continue and to get rid of Michelle's nagging, but somehow Michelle became deeply involved in the project too, getting together with the engineer guy of the group.

Fortunately, no-one, even nosy Michelle, didn't ask Cindy about her exceptional glasses that were indeed able to see everything. Built in microscope was only the beginning, thermo- and radioactive layers, seeing through the walls, x-ray and night visions… The list was enough for a three hundred page manual.

All and all everything was great in the life of Cindy Vortex. She was bursting with ideas and applied theories to practice right away. Nothing seemed to be able to darken the situation even a tiny bit. But there is no heaven on Earth, isn't it?

The sirens of the fire squad and ambulances bellowed on the highway, attempting to reach their destination as quickly as possible. The students' body was informed via intercom to remain in their dormitories and stay out of the west wing's third floor since there had been an accident in one of the labs.

Michelle was out of town with her friends when all that happened. She returned to her room to find Cindy's bed still made and snickered. Cindy must've finally found someone to spend the night with. She was very wrong.

"Oh my God," she breathed out, opening the door after hearing a demanding knocking. Before her stood her fan club idol – Professor Neutron in the flesh. Even if she now had no romantic interest in him, she still found him adorable. And now he was standing so near…

"Miss Thompson, sorry for interruption. Is Miss Vortex here?"

"No," Michelle bleated, melting on the spot. "May be _I_ can help?"

"You can."

"I can?" she exclaimed excitedly.

"You can tell me where she is. Did she spend the night here?"

"Not that I can tell… But why are you searching for her? Something happened?" Michelle questioned, jealous that her room-mate was receiving so much attention from the cute professor.

"Haven't you heard? There was an explosion!" Neutron blew up, losing his temper. "Neither her cell nor PDA answers. Blast! Her group's lab is in that area!"

"You mean Cindy could be there tonight? When it blew up? She could be hurt?" Michelle asked, panic in her every word.

"You are finally getting it, woman! Get to the hospital immediately!"

He continued to cry out instructions while Michelle was gathering things, but she couldn't understand anything that he was saying because of all consuming panic and because one thought kept nagging on the periphery of her mind, '_Why did Professor Neutron know so much about Cindy Vortex and why was he so worked up about her well-being?_'

…

Cynthia Vortex looked awful. Her glorious blond hair she cared so much about was sprawled on the white pillow of the hospital bed looking practically transparent instead of its usual golden shine. Her face was even paler than the pillow. Fortunately, she didn't seem in pain remaining in a blessed state of unconsciousness.

And Michelle wasn't sure that she will be happy to wake up. Two young women were not best of friends and even best of room-mates, but they were both women and Michelle came to conclusion that her room-mate's life would drastically change the moment she opens her eyes to her new world. The question was, 'What will Michelle do about it? Does she want herself involved in other girl's mess?' And it was certainly a mess. From whatever point of view you look at it.

The patient stirred and opened her green eyes to look around. She was obviously disoriented by her surroundings, but when Cindy's wondering glance stopped on Michelle, the latter was amazed by full rationality of it.

"What happened?" Cindy rasped.

"I don't know the details, I arrived like half an hour ago. There was an explosion on your floor, but I have no idea what happened next."

"Ah," Cindy drawled, turning towards the window to look at the passing clouds. She lay like that for several minutes, indifferently watching the clouds, when she suddenly sat, frantically looking around the ward once again. "Where are my things? My lab coat?"

Michelle joined the search checking out the nightstand where she indeed found Cindy's clothes, including the white lab coat. Cindy grabbed it from Michelle hands and began another search through its pockets.

"Thank God, it was not destroyed," Cindy breathed up with great relief falling onto the pillows, clenching a small leather case towards her chest as if it was a lost child of hers.

"What's up with that thingy? Is it made of gold or something?"

"It's my PDA," Cindy explained, opening the case. "And if I am not mistaken, it's titanium." Before Cindy could shut the sound down, the voice of her boss echoed in the ward, "You have twelve unanswered calls from Neutron."

"Wow, Cindy! How come his voice is in your PDA? You must tell me all about it!" Michelle exclaimed, not knowing how to feel about the fact – exited, curious or jealous.

"It's no big deal."

"Well, twelve calls is one. It was he who told me to come here, you know. Professor Neutron was very worried about you. Even yelled at me."

"It's his usual manner of speech when he wants somebody to do something so don't think about it as anything special. Towards you or… towards me. I think I am going to sleep for awhile." Cindy stretched her body to find a more comfortable position, but then tensed full of panic, "I can't feel my left foot," she whispered, her hands shaking while pulling the covers towards her. Her both legs were bandaged from feet to knees, but her left leg ended a bit earlier.

"You don't have your left foot anymore, Cindy," Michelle announced gravely, looking at her hands on the back of Cindy's bed because she considered it the best choice. The missing foot in question or Cindy's face were choices too dangerous to face them. Mortally dangerous as Michelle found out the next second.

"You knew!" Cindy cried, her previous apathetic state instantly disappearing. "You knew and you haven't told me! And you call yourself a friend?"

"I didn't know how to say it! 'Hey, Cind, they've cut your foot off, you are going to miss the next exam, won't you?' And you've never called me your friend to begin with," Michelle spat defensively.

"Get out of here!"

"I will. Right away. You must be going into shock. I'll call a doctor. Just a friendly gesture, you know."

Michelle turned on her hills and Cindy was left alone with her shock, grieving and anger. She cried and tossed everything that appeared under her hand until she was sedated. In the middle of the night, when her eyes were too dry to cry, she sent a message to a person who knew her best in the whole word. She contemplated to send another one, but decided against it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Five: Why did I Deserve This?**

Cindy impassively watched the passing clouds of another bright morning. Her PDA waked her up at seven a.m., saying, "Wake up, Cindy, it is another day to show the world how beautiful and smart you are." She agreed that it was pretty arrogant to put the phase that way, but since he will never say it to her reality why not start the day with a good note?

That day of course didn't fall into that category. She survived an explosion but on what cost? Becoming a cripple? And if to think positively about the situation, it was not _that_ bad, she could've ended in a wheel chair. But in a wheel chair all her limbs would've been intact. And what now? No beaches, no short skirts, no sex for God's sake!

"Damn, and why did I even went there at night?" She glanced at her PDA and the unanswered calls it was still indicating. "Twelve calls, hah? I can at least text him to say that I am alive."

Later in the day the doctor informed her about her condition. They _had to _amputate the foot, because it was completely shattered by the blow in addition to glass shards with which both her legs were covered. Fortunately no other nerves were compromised.

'_Fortunately, my ass_,' Cindy raved inside. '_So why can't you look me in the eyes and say it?_'

She picked at her breakfast and then lunch, but received a surprise during the latter – a nurse walked into her current sanctuary and she was not alone. It was still hard to recognize him without the lab coat. Without it he looked like an average young man, nothing indicated him being a professor or a genius for that matter. The nurse must've thought he was her boyfriend to let him visit her so easily.

'_Not a good thought, Cindy. But he does look rather sexy in this leather jacket._'

"I am not going to ask how you are feeling, Vortex, because it is obvious from your screwed up face."

"It is not screwed up," Cindy bit out defensively, straightening her sitting position. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Visiting my assistant. I think that is obvious. I also came to inform you about the result of the accident's investigation."

"So?" she encouraged him, seeing as he was hesitating to continue.

"Well, the good news is that the explosion didn't destroy your laboratory completely."

"Completely? So it did reach it?" Cindy questioned with panic. The work of her life, current period at list, was there. If it had been destroyed…

"It did, but only partly. I salvaged the experimental material as well as your creation. The bad news is that since some amateur attempted and obviously failed to create a new explosive (my theory he just wanted to make some quick cash using university's equipment) the whole floor is radioactive and off limits."

"But if it is radioactive how did you?.."

"I have my ways. Your team can retrieve the materials from my lab and continue the research. I am sure your room-mate can provide you with your laptop and you can coordinate everything from here since you will be incapable," a quick glance at her covered legs, "to leave for some time."

"Incapable for some time? Are you out of your mind?" Cindy blew up, her pain resurfacing with his indifferent attitude. "I've become a cripple! I will limp for the rest of my days at best!"

"Look on the bright side, you are alive, your head is intact, after coming around you will be able to think clearly too."

"Is brains the only important part of the body to you, Neutron? As far as you are concerned, I am not even a woman! Just a pair of hands attached to brains' container! Well, I am not! Till yesterday I had a fully fledged body and I was proud of it! Now I won't be able to even wear heels!"

"Oh, women and their nonsense!" Neutron blew up in return. "You are a scientist, first and foremost! And if you still can't make a choice, it's your bloody problem! You are not in school anymore, you must decide about the life ahead of you!"

"Like you did? Confined yourself in your own world that looks more like a safe? Hated by everyone of your profession? Sorry, but I don't want that karma upon me! Thank you very much!"

Neutron turned on his heels, like Michelle did less than a day ago, and stormed out. He almost knocked over Libby on his way out, but he just passed obviously seeing nothing with his anger blazing eyes.

"I bet you two had one of your famous fights once again," Libby commented, taking a seat beside Cindy's bed. "How do you feel, gal?" But seeing Cindy's forehead covered with sweat and her rasping for breath, Libby could only conclude that it was far from alright.

"God, I hate this man," Cindy responded, taking breath deep enough to form words.

"That I gathered. But what happened? It isn't characteristic of Jimmy to be riled up so much. It hasn't happened since you left."

"Firstly, he seems to be worried about me, because he called me when he found out about the explosion's place. And then he comes today not even asking, how I feel; no consolation, no reassurance, nothing! Doesn't he understand that I differ from Aurora not only in the department of making mistakes? That I have bloody feelings? My life has changed in a flash and he is glad that my head remained on the right place and I am still able to think!"

Libby put her hand on Cindy's shoulder. "Calm down, gal. It is not good for your health. And Jimmy is a man and a genius to boot, it is in his nature to act like this."

"But he insulted me!"

"And you insulted him right back. What I am not really surprised about with your history."

"Which he doesn't know about," Cindy grunted.

"And yet you do nothing to change it."

"Libby, whose side are you on?"

"Let's assume that on yours since I am a woman too," Libby replied tapping Cindy on the shoulder.

"You know, Libby, I wanted to ask you something for quite some time. Remember, when we were kids you wanted to go into music business. But now you are married and have twins and… Is it worth it? To abandon your dream like this? Of course, I don't say that being a mother is unworthy or anything."

"Well, for your information, Cindy, I began music production course, but took a year leave due to pregnancy. I am starting next year again using distance learning. And the twins were planned actually. Sheen and I decided it was time to have kids. Better sooner than later. Does that answer your question?"

"Hell if I know. I am so confused now. I have no idea how I am going to live through this."

"Well, you are going into rehab. You are going to have prosthesis and you are going to thank God that it hadn't been worse. We will try to help you as much as we can."

"Don't bother, Libs. You have two infants on your hands. I am a big girl, I will manage."

"I don't believe a word of it, but I'll let you do as you wish. At least till you crawl to me begging for help," Libby finished with a chuckle. "Everything will be alright."

"I doubt it. Who will want me now, ha?"

"So that's where the wind is blowing from," Libby remarked with an eye-roll. "And I wondered why you are questioning me about motherhood."

"Well, I don't know anymore. It is this or that. I want to be a scientist and save lives, but I don't want to come to an empty house. But what can happen now?"

"Well, I know a man who won't give a damn about the inequality of your legs."

"Who is that, I wonder."

"Well, Jimmy, of course. But there is a small problem with him."

"Don't even start, he has a whole a bunch of them."

Libby noticed that Cindy didn't protest right away about her choice of a man for her, but let it slide. "He doesn't have any reaction to woman's body. None. We were at the beach once, and you know like men 'look around'. But Jimmy didn't even glance sideways the whole time we were there."

"I've noticed that trait of his already."

"Oh really?"

"Well, I am a woman."

"So you wanted Jimmy to notice your feminine features, hm?"

"It was only an observation," Cindy protested against Libby's implications.

"Whatever you say, girl. Do you need anything?"

"I do need stuff from my dormitory, but Michelle is definitely mad at me because I yelled at her yesterday. Damn, life royally sucks."

"Be strong, Cindy. It is just a phase. You will overcome it. I am sure of it."

"But _I _am not."

Later in the day the bandages on her legs were taken off and for the first time Cindy was faced with the whole tragedy of her situation. There were several scars on her right leg from the shards that got too deep, and her left leg… was not _that _ugly. Yes, a bit shorter than her other leg… just a bit… No shirt skirts for her now…

That night Cindy cried herself to sleep.

…

In several weeks Cindy had accomplished a lot of things. First of all her rehab was going very much to her liking – little pain and quick progress. Doctors were happy for her too, but constantly advised her not to push herself. Her laptop and books were brought to her by Michelle to whom she made amends via phone. Michelle admitted that she had been also not on her best behavior, since she should've taken into consideration the stress Cindy had lived through due to operation and its consequences.

Cindy, however, didn't want to think about the consequences, but every day she had to deal with one or the other. So she started to think about how to deal with her problems. Her thinking process was always better while walking, that's why she was walking at least three miles a day with the clutches to make her blood flow after all the sitting time.

"_I already miss Libby with her constant nagging and fluffing up the pillows. Must come from being a mother. I wonder if I be able to become one day. I am completely healthy so... But who will want me? I am handicaped now, even if very lightly, but in the eyes of the others I am an invalid._

_I can still research, but to what extent? I doubt I will be able to run around the lab or the university for that matter. So where does it get me? Growing over experiments and notes and nothing more basically. I will be confined to a lab or an office... Just like Jimmy is. And I critisized his way of life! Damn fool! His present is my possible future! And he must understand it too, but now he is not talking to me, even doesn't send any assignments. School work can be extremely boring at times, but Jimmy's tasks are so challenging and unique, comparing to the lectures and other stuff. Like the design for the last invention... Was it some prop for a movie? A bunkett of flowers that was to spit blood and move ‛with the wind'. It was basically a nick-nack, why did he even took such an order? A student could've done that! But nevertheless it was a good break for me from all the advanced mechanics/electronics. Maybe I should text him to ask how things are going? And probably appologize, we said all kinds of nasty things that day. It still hurts however, that I am only an assisting device to him. But if I am he will never notice the inequality of my legs! First good side of my current situation.'_

Cindy checked her PDA for unanswered calls, the result equaled zero. Her parents haven't called her at all. She thought they would've been informed about her accident and the operation. They could've at least checked if she was alive. Cindy grew apart from her parents since they left Retroville. There was a reason behind it too. Cindy fought teeth and nails for staying and finishing Retroville's high school. She even offered for her grandmother to move in to watch over her till she was of age. But her parents, and especially her mother heard none of it. Her father had received a very perspective not to mention finanfically secure position and they had to move. End of story.

Of course, there was a big row with calling names and insults which ended with Mrs. Vortex exclaimation, "I am so disappointed in you, girl! I thought I had brought you up better for you to be hanging on a single boy like this!" Cindy had never told her mother about... well, her relationship with the boy across the street, but mothers know their daughters best.

Cindy's trip down the memory lane was abstructed by her cluch giving up on her. She streched her hand to grab onto something to prevail the tremendous and painful fall, but only air surrounded her. She was falling, but then she was drowning. Drowning in the azure eyes and realizing the horrifiyingly ugly truth; her mother had all the right to be disappointed in her, because, after all those years, she was still in love with James Isaac Neutron, genious professor or not.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Six: Of Minds and Sufferings**

"Are you alright?" came from above her head.

"Huh?" Cindy asked, still slightly dizzy from the ordeal. Or from his arms around her. It was hard to tell. Really.

"Does anything hurt?"

"No... I'm fine," she stammered. "If you could lead me to the chair over there..." Jimmy complied holding Cindy by her waist, while she hopped to her working table. "What are you doing here?" she finally managed some coherent words after being positioned securely on the chair and him retreating to a distance of several meters.

"I've been working... and thinking," Jimmy began unsurely, scratching the back of his head.

Cindy smiled. '_He looks so cute when he is nervous_.'

"I had no right to say the things I did last time. And I am sorry. I understand that women prioritize their appearance on a completely different level comparing to men, so I will refrain from any further comments about the subject."

Cindy looked him over. Jimmy was wearing a stylish summer suit, the choice of which made her question his appearance prioritizing. "Does that speech mean that you will consider me a woman and not only brains with hands?"

"No, it doesn't, because there is not point in doing so. You are who you are – my assistant a.k.a employee. Frankly speaking, it doesn't concern me how you look like, because we mostly work on a distance."

"That hurt, you know," Cindy responded seriously. She was feeling torn about the subject. From one hand, she was glad that her new appearance didn't change things between them, but no the other - her female pride was in the dumps.

"I am not used to sensitivities, that's all. So you've become friends with Libby?"

Cindy met the topic change with relief, because she didn't know where that conversation was going. The overall tension was frustrating in the least. Why didn't he remember her? And now she had to come up with some lie to cover the truth about her and Libby's friendship.

"I am used to live on my own, but it is pretty difficult in a rented house and in unfamiliar area, I asked for help and she was a very good neighbor."

"So you are returning there for the summer?"

‛_Can I consider as a praise his opinion that I can be on my own already, or he just completely ignores my handicap on purpose? As if nothing had happened?_' "No, I am being moved to a rehabilitaion center tomorrow."

"Will you continue your research during summer?"

"Theory mostly, because the group members are on vacation already."

Jimmy grunted with disgust. "Some scientists. Beaches are more important that their project."

"There is nothing wrong in wanting to relax. Students deserve rest after a whole year of studies. I actually had some plans too, but under the circumstaces..." Cindy instinctly hid her left leg behind the right one.

"It won't do you any good to be ashamed," Jimmy scolded mildly. "Foot's absence doesn't make you less of a person or a researcher for that matter."

"Still have my head on my shoulders," Cindy responded, bitterness slipping through her words.

"Look on the bright side."

"Which is?"

"You are still in this world."

"But it was not my fault! If only I had remained in my room that evening everything would've been alright. And I would've been lying on a beach right now, flirting and sipping cocktails!" she spat, depression showing its ugly head once again.

"And what stops you?" Jimmy asked nonchalantly. He was not teasing her, but there was certainly something mischiveous in his tone.

"I think that is obvious," Cindy remarked bitterly. She couldn't help but smirk on the thought that a genius couldn't see it.

"Who said you would be alone there?"

"Does this conversation have a point? Because I don't find it funny, Neutron."

"The point, Vortex, is that if you complete a very special project for me in three weeks, I will take you on a vacation for a week. With your doctor's permission, of course."

Cindy gaped at him with no ceremony to look dignified or even well mannered. She almost asked, "What the hell?" but hold her tongue in time. After muffening the squeal of happiness in her mind about the fact that the guy of her dreams had asked her to spend a week with him, Cindy gathered her witts enough to utter in a neutral tone, "Is this a joke?"

"Not at all. As I said, it's a special project, and needs to be specially rewarded for."

"But I can't... You... I... We... We can't go _together_."

"So you are more worried about your reputation than about your leg?"

"Actually, I was thinking about _your_ reputation, but if you have no regard for it, I don't see why should I."

"So you agree to do the special project?"

Cindy blinked. Weren't they talking about a vacation? Where were they going anyway? "What's so special about it?"

Jimmy took a seat on the chair beside her. "It's personal."

"How personal?"

"How well do you know my dog Goddard?"

'_By heart._' "I've seen him a couple of times at Libby's."

"Well, Goddard made a request," Jimmy stated mysteriously, handing her a disk.

"Goddessa?" Cindy read the label. "Is it really what I think it is?"

"Knowing your mental capasity, I incline to agree with your guess."

"Goddard wants a girlfriend?"

"Mate, to be exact. Seems that spending time in a family of two and then four had an enormous influence on him."

"So what is the problem? You made one dog, make another one."

"The problem is not from the technical point of you. I've already configured the mainframe and the gadgets, but I don't know how to make them campatible. For them to like each other. You know what I mean, Vortex?"

"Not exactly."

"I don't know how women think. And I can't make an ideal girlfriend for him, even if I know him inside and out."

"But you've made one once. You can ask Goddard for his description and make her according to it."

"Vortex, with all Goddard's multitasking capability, he doesn't have imagination. He can't possibly know what he wants."

"So what do you want me to do? Play matchmaker?"

"Women are good at that, aren't they?"

...

When Jimmy left, Cindy remained in a daze for quite some time. She was being torn by thoughts and emotions which all had one connection point – Jimmy Neutron. Her complete admitance about her feelings towards him didn't make her life easier. What was she supposed to do next? Try to seduce him in her bikini while on vacation? Hah and double hah, she can't wear one anymore. And he still remained her professor. She wanted to graduate with a perfect score, so a scandal was out of question. So what to do? How treat those reemerged feelings?

Going to sleep that night, she asked herself a question, 'How do you deal with a man, who wants to make a mate for his robotic dog, but doesn't want one for himself?'

...

Goddard had went thorugh several changes during the years. He didn't look like a handmade robot anymore, but resembled a dog in form and lines. Working on the 'Goddessa' project, Cindy had seen his and his mate-to-be's blueprints for the first time and was amazed by the delicacy Jimmy treated his creations. Even if Goddard was made to help Jimmy in his experiments and leisure activities, the dog's design was made for Goddard to be comfortable and secure first and futhermost.

Cindy designed Goddessa the same way. She noticed with a bit of surprise the equality of both canines' construction, even if some functions were missing in Goddard, comparing to Goddessa, they were replaced with gadgets Goddard didn't have. That fact gave a lot for Cindy to think about about Jimmy's choice for partner in life. Goddard could be considered his masters reflection, that was no doubt about it since Cindy knew both so well. Or she thought she knew Jimmy. James now. There was no Jimmy left.

Despite the doubts of her master's opinion on romance, Cindy gave the robot a heavy sex appeal with eyelashes and that special look that says to the man everything he wants to hear. Cindy was very satisfied with her work. She could bet her foot that Goddard would love her. Now only to persuade her boss in the rightfullness of the project.

...

"I think you are wasting your time in medical research."

Out of all possible reactions, Cindy couldn't have imagined anything close to that. "What do you mean by that?" she asked her boss that was staring at the blueprints on her laptop. She was actually surprised when he appeared in person in the rehab center instead of video calling as they usually communicated.

"I mean that there is a tech inside you. You are an inventor."

"And I will invent to help people to have a new life, people… like me to have equal chances, to have a full life like any other."

"I still think you belong in my class, Vortex."

"You don't have _a_ _class_, Neutron," Cindy shot back, making final adjustments to the lines of the front legs.

"Yes, it's more like a club. Just some guys who gather to discuss science."

"Guys as there are no girls there?"

"God forbid for a girl in this gossiping university to find about it. Then the whole thing is doomed," Jimmy proclaimed with pure panic.

"And what about the girlfriends of your little club members?"

"I doubt those guys have girlfriends," Jimmy replied. Cindy couldn't detect any bitterness in his tone, but the way his lips stretched in a thin line… As if he knew exactly how those guys felt.

"So they are total technical geeks?"

"You can possibly call them like this, but they are capable of turning the whole world around," he said in return, with unhidden admiration.

"And you think that my place is among them? Does the rule 'no girls around' not apply to me too?"

"No, it doesn't."

"Because I am only an assistant with no gender?"

"Because you are already one of them," Jimmy said mysteriously. "I think you should meet them, even if you must've seen at least half of them already. We are meeting in an hour."

"But what will I do there? Not to mention that I can't leave the facility."

"Almost all of them are here. Three men will be arriving by car."

"Hm…"

"It is not like you to be scared, Vortex. You can't hide from people forever."

Cindy knew that he was right. Going to rehab exercises and back to your room through the halls was nice, since she had a fixed destination and didn't look at the people around her. That way she made herself forget where she was and why. But Cynthia Vortex was still tough, no cut appendage could change that.

"So where are we heading?"

Turned out that the route was not that long. Cindy had passed that room on the first floor at least two times a day while pushing herself to go to the cafeteria and not ask the nurse to bring food to her room. There was nothing remarkable about the room – just a large table and several chairs around it. The only technological part of the interior were a projector and a laptop connected to it.

The room was not empty however of human life. Two middle-aged men were sitting behind the table, vigorously typing something on their netbooks completely ignoring each other. Another man, quite young to Cindy's estimation, not more than thirty, was occupying another chair, scribing something in a notebook. They made several steps into the room when the door opened again to reveal a heavily limping man in his forties. He nodded to Jimmy and proceeded in his awkward gait to the nearest chair.

The room continued to fill in with men Cindy couldn't categorize. Three of them were in wheelchairs, one didn't have an arm, another one missed an eye. There seemed to be nothing to unite those men except their presence in one room and them being handicapped in some way. And she indeed met some of them briefly in the halls.

No words were exchanged, but they were obviously waiting for something. While they were waiting, Cindy had time to observe. All men could be considered invalids to a point. If all limbs were healthy, then something else was not. One had a scarred skin on one side of the face and neck, another had only one eye. Cindy wondered how those people could be connected to each other and to Professor Neutron. And how could he call those people 'his class'?

While Cindy was contemplating the situation and her part in it, Jimmy stood up and took something white out of his bag and put it on. It happened to be an ordinary lab coat. As if recieving some sort of a signal, the other men did the same, even the occupants of the wheelchairs managed to change with help of others.

"Good day, gentlemen," Jimmy greeted, nearing the laptop linked to the projector. "You must've already noticed that I am not alone today. This is my assistant Cynthia Vortex, it is possible for her to join as in our work."

Cindy smiled out of politeness to the men in front of her, still not understanding her role in the whole thing. In return she received a stare that was difficult to decipher like anything but 'She looks exactly like her', but nothing was said aloud. The silence continued on Cindy's side too. She hadn't said a word during the ferocious discussion of the scientists during the following hours. And there was no doubt that those men were scientists, had been at least before tragedies of different caliber happened to them. As far as Cindy's understanding went, the group was projecting a laboratory for physically impaired people with the possible lowest chance of accidents. She was quite fascinated by the safety systems designed for protecting from all possible malfunctions and flares.

The meeting ended with taking off of the lab coats and Jimmy giving small pieces of paper to three of the former scientists. Cindy recognized those as checks. What could be payments for? Charity?

Cindy followed the men with her glance as they left one by one with a nod in Jimmy's direction. She was basically ignored as if she wasn't even there.

"So what do you think, Vortex?"

"About what?" she asked in return defensively. If he wanted to show her something by bringing her there, she hadn't seen it.

"About this community and you being one of them."

"I am clearly not. And this… community, as you call it, I don't see anything fabulous about it. Just a bunch of invalids who think of themselves as scientists."

"Wrong order. They were scientists first and then had become invalids."

"Huh?"

"Let me explain from the beginning then. But I think you must return to your room." With Jimmy's steadying arm Cindy got up and started walking, still a bit awkwardly, to her ward. "I once stumbled on an Internet community of scientists with very daring ideas. Daring as if they had nothing to lose. There were four men there. I joined them and as we communicated I understood that they'd never seen each other and were very vigorously protecting that state of things. I made inquires… and made a discovery. Then I began search for scientists with the same circumstances and invited them to our community. Long story short I'd finally persuaded them to meet half a year ago and we've been meeting once a month ever since to communicate in a traditional manner so to say. We constantly exchange data online, of course, but meeting like this is important for human factor."

"So why bring _me_ here?"

"As I said before, 'You are like them now.'"

"Well, they certainly don't think so," Cindy disagreed with a huff.

"They just don't like strangers."

"And women?"

"Well, they can't help but be a bit self-conscious about their appearance in front of a female. The point of all this, Vortex, is to contradict your statement about the end of your life after the injury. Those men continue to live and create wonderful things. Your circumstances are the same."

"They are not," Cindy stated sharply.

"Of course, you are woman and that makes a certain difference-"

"I was not talking about _that_. I mean that they were scientists before they sustained their injuries. They had their labs and work and experiments. I am not even out of college and I am already on the sidewalk instead of being in the traffic mainstream. Even if I manage to graduate who will employ me?"

"You are such a kid at times, Vortex," Jimmy remarked shaking his head.

"What?" Cindy exclaimed, stopping on her tracks. How dared he?

"What you certainly have in common with the brilliant guys you've just met, that despite of being stripped of their social and academic status, change in their appearance and personal life style, one thing remained – theirs as your own brains are still in your head and functioning. You must've noticed the checks; they are payments for the patents of our co-work under my name. It is an agreement between us. Fame is not an issue under the circumstances, they need money for further operations and medication."

"Must this speech make me happy about my situation?" Cindy asked bitterly. She was slowly recovering from her deep depression, but that didn't mean that she was ready to start a new life. Mentally and physically.

"No, it was to make you see that you still have brilliant brains and Goddessa's designs show you can use them. So why bury them? You still want to change the world, don't you?"

Cindy couldn't respond, because she was feeling dizzy because of the words she has just heard. Jimmy Neutron admitted that she had brilliant brains? The world was coming to an end for sure! Or maybe it was the other way around? It was the beginning of another world? Their world?


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Seven: Of Tension and…****No Tension**

"I am not exactly sure I am ready for this."

"Get a grip of yourself, Vortex," Jimmy said, tossing her suitcases at the back of the hovercar. "Your doctors allowed it."

"I do want to leave the hospital, but being so exposed… And you still haven't told where we are heading."

"You must leave your shell at on one point or another."

"But a vacation? With beaches and people around me?"

"Don't worry, the place where we are going won't be crowded at all. I doubt you'll see anybody besides me there."

"What? We are not going to some uninhabited island, aren't we?" Cindy exclaimed, shaking with panic. First of all because of the idea itself, and secondly because of her memories of them being stranded together in their childhood. Those memories were nothing but fantastic, but she was the only one now who remembered. The holiday also presented an opportunity to create new fantastic memories, but Cindy was not sure how to approach it. If she even wanted it. Yes, she loved him, wanted to be with him, but how? What place could she possible have in the life of Professor Neutron? It was one huge mess, if anybody had asked her to describe their relationship that had neither head nor tail.

"Of course not, just a very secluded resort."

"And where is it located?"

"That's a surprise," Jimmy replied with a sly smirk. "Can you get in?"

Cindy eyed the edge of the hovercar she so easily overcame during the conference trip. She did it once, she could do it again. She tossed her cane inside, turned around and hoped onto the air-filled rubber with no difficulties. After bringing her legs over, she took the place of the co-pilot. "So what are you waiting for there?" she asked with a challenge. She was feeling better already, overcoming that small obstacle. Maybe her fears were indeed groundless.

They took off into unknown direction, unknown for sometime at least. Cindy liked surprises but that was a bit too much already. She followed the coordinates on the GPS and when they appeared above the Pacific Ocean she started to get anxious.

"What is it with you, Vortex? Afraid of water?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You look like a deer in headlights. Forgot the feeling of open space around you?"

"No, it's just there is no land around us. If something happens to us there is nobody who could help. And that freaks me out."

"Common, don't be a sissy. And nothing can happen. I tuned everything to perfection just yesterday."

"Do you find this reassuring? I definitely don't." Cindy continued fidgeting around as if a maniac was chasing them. She didn't know what the cause was: the silence of the ocean or the memories of swimming several miles till they reached that island years ago.

"We will reach the island in three hours. Does that reassure you?"

"Three hours? Is it the other end of the world?"

"Basically yes. But hovercar is not a jet, so, please bear with its speed. Oh and look!"

Cindy followed the direction Jimmy was pointing at and gasped. There was a herd of at least twenty dolphins heading alongside their course. She watched in fascination as they jumped out of the water sending sparkling drops everywhere. The picture was almost idyllic.

Cindy watched the dolphins losing track of time, that's why she was startled by the beeps of the GPS that announced their nearing of the shore. She glanced at the screen and almost screamed. "Indonesia?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"I don't know," Cindy replied her voice soft now. "Too exotic for me, I think." '_What is it with you? You are overreacting like some little kid. So what if it is Indonesia? There is no standard approach with Jimmy Neutron, don't you remember?_'

…..

'_When a man and a woman are on the beach, wearing nothing but swimming suits, it is natural for some sexual tension to be present, not to mention flirting with innuendoes of intimate variety. And what are _we_ doing? The first part is covered, but definitely not the second one. __Who would've thought that a small boy with tiny legs and huge head will grow into someone so yummy? I mean, look at this gorgeous body! And nobody appriciates it, even he. Well, I can do it, even if only for a week... Get your head straight Cindy Vortex! You will not have such thoughts! _'Feeling getting wetter by the second, she shifted in her lounge to get more comfortable, but it was futile. She was hopelessly turned on with no hope to receive satisfaction from the man beside her, or any other man in the vicinity for that matter. She took her prostisis off for it not to be damaged by the sand, so her attractiveness was dubious, even with a towel coverng her feet, well foot, but who cared?

Cindy once again glanced at the man beside her and than at the beach house they were supposed to share for a week. How will they manage? There was only one bathroom after all. '_I bet he can calmly brush his teeth and leave with me in the shower totally naked._' And come to think of it, only one bed. The situation was changed wth a hybercube and a shrinking ray for another bed to appear in the living room. Why would he bring another bed with him? Only if he was aware of the accomodations beforehead! Also another fact kept bothering her... When Jimmy checked them in...

"Professor?"

"You can cut out the formalities, Vortex. We are not in the university anymore. Neutron will suffice," he muttered sleepily.

"I am sorry to wake you up, but I want to ask something."

"Shoot."

'_Shoot? Are we teenagers?_' "When you checked us in, you said 'Reservations for two on Neutron's name.' Was this trip preplanned in advance?"

"Obviously. You can't have a house here on a whim. On the other hand everything is always planned in my life. Before you ask… Aurora… planned this getaway for us. After her… departure I thought to cancel it, but then remembered your words about me needing a vacation. You wanted one too, so…"

"So I am here because she is not."

A glare was sent Cindy's way. "Don't think so high of yourself. You will never come even close to replacing Aurora."

"I wasn't hoping to do so," Cindy replied with a sigh of defeat. Aurora surely had an enormous shadow. '_And to think that I am fighting with my own self just smarter and more technologically advanced. And Jimmy still doesn't see any connection! Anyone with eyes can see that our similarity is not a coincidence!_' Cindy's train of thought stopped abruptly when she caught Jimmy staring at the towel. "Does it bother you?"

"If you mean the absence of your foot, then no, not in the slightest. What bothers me is the fact that you are so eager to hide it. And you can't hide it forever. You need to learn to live with it, Vortex. Others can go to hell if meeting you they see what you lack, not what you have."

"Then why don't you look at my face when you are talking to me?"

Cindy didn't notice it at first but whenever Jimmy was talking to her, he looked either on the wall or on the computer screen, or just pass her shoulder. It was frustrating in the least. As if she was a receiver that will get the signal anyway.

"Because when I look at your face I see hers, and I want to forget it."

"I am sorry to say it, but I doubt you will be able to forget your ideal woman's face. The only way out is to change the ideal."

"How is that possible? An ideal is the perfection, nothing can replace that."

"My point entirely. By the way, I was contemplating dying my hair brown, if that can be of help."

"No!" Jimmy exclaimed, this time looking right at her face.

"And why is that?"

"You'll ruin the perfection."

"As I said earlier, I was not planning on taking Aurora's place in any capacity. I am Cynthia Aurora Vortex and will behave and look as such," Cindy declared with determined expression on her face. "What's so funny?" she asked, hearing Jimmy's chuckles.

"Nothing in particular, but I have to admit, you are right, Vortex. And I wasn't talking about Aurora's perfection by the way. So wanna grab something to eat tonight?"

'_Is he asking me out?_' Cindy thought her heart skipping several beats.

"I can drop you at the restaurant and you can proceed with vacation plans."

"What plans?"

"Don't you remember? Flirting and sipping cocktails?"

"Well, I don't think I am ready for that yet. We can go together this time, I promise I won't be a bother," Cindy pled adding puppy eyes for good measure. The only thought of women flaunting around a single sexy man like him gave her shivers.

"Won't being seen with me minimize your chances the next time you are on the men hunt?" Jimmy inquired with a smirk.

"I can always say that you are only a relative. A cousin, for example."

"If you say so. I don't really care. The question now is how we will get you back to the house."

"Frankly speaking, I am already tired on hopping around on one foot, like some bird," Cindy remarked, getting her things together. She packed the towel and couldn't help but glare at her ugly stump.

"Then there is no other way then."

"What do you mean-" But before Cindy could finish, she found herself being cared bridal style to their house. 'Their house' - it had a nice ring to it.

…..

"Are you planning to wear such long skirts all our time here?" Jimmy asked, pushing open the door to the small restaurant they'd chosen as their eating place.

"I haven't decided yet."

"I don't understand what you can accomplish with that. The cane is enough to grab the attention and draw respectful conclusions."

"You mean that there is no point in even attempting to give a good impression?" Cindy questioned, sounding hurt. Can't she at least look _nice_?

"Maybe you can draw attention elsewhere or just send everyone to hell and do as you wish. And by the way, when you sit down you skirt will rise enough to show the world your deepest darkest secret."

'_Is he fooling around? That's a first. He should relax more often, then he may not turn completely in a old grumbler with only experiments on his mind._' "As you said about your friends – they are self-conscious about strangers. I am the same. I don't like people staring at me and giving me those pitiful glances."

"What's with the towel then? There are no strangers on the beach."

"Well, I am sorry, but in my eyes you are a man as any other," she threw offhandedly, but was a bunch of nerves inside. Yes, she said she was not a member of Neutron's fanclub, but that didn't mean- Didn't mean what exactly? That she can fall for him as any other woman? '_Hopefully, he won't interpret my words in this manner. But then why did I say them?_' She dared to glance at her companion, but his expression was unreadable. Did she screw up already her chance that so suddenly had befallen upon her?

"So what are you going to order?" Jimmy asked, as if nothing incriminating was said a moment before.

Cindy released her breath. '_Didn't he simply notice or ignored it or discarded on purpose as a meaningless phrase?_ _Must be the latter. God, this obscurity is killing me! I don't remember when I was so worked up about a guy before. The most shocking thing is that I know him so well so it should've been must easier, but with every passing day I realize I know nothing about the man Jimmy Neutron has become, being a genius aside. Did he ask me something right now?_' "What?"

"The menu. You can't make the order otherwise."

"Oh yes." Cindy took the menu which was in English fortunately and attempted to search for something suiting her tastes which was not that easy. "I give up, I don't know the cuisine in the slightest. Student life tends to change restaurants to cheap cafes and delicate cuisine to cafeteria food."

"I have to agree with you on this point. University life can be quite a burden at times. So how is your research going?"

"Even if I am bursting to tell you all the details of our successful discoveries, I won't. Because we are on vacation, so no science during the whole week."

Jimmy almost groaned. "And what do you think I am to do?"

"What about diving? I am sure there are a lot of interesting things down in the ocean. Coral reefs, for example."

"I think you are on something there, Vortex. I will get to the diving center first thing in the morning."

The dinner continued in a strained manner, the time mostly spend on food consuming than social talking. The conversation circled mostly around Jimmy's travels around the world obviously with scientific purposes. And even if Cindy banned everything connected to science during their vacation, she had to let it go because otherwise they would've only stared at their plates during the whole evening.

…..

The next morning Cindy woke up rather early, but the bungalow was already empty. After making a light breakfast of fruits she decided to read one of the novels she brought with her on memory sticks. She set up her laptop and rummaged through the bag taking out the first she got a hold of. Cindy stuck it in and only then understood that it was Aurora's. Her last wish Cindy had completely forgot about.

There were two video files on the stick, Cindy clicked open the first one and choked on a sob – before her was Aurora alive and smiling that special smile. The smile was limited by the technology of her skin, but it was still there and it wasn't a mocking one. As a robot Aurora couldn't mock anyone, when she smiled she meant it.

"Hi Cindy. I am thankful you've finally decided to get to the task of getting your Jimmy back. The next file is one of my memories at the very beginning of my relationship with James. At that time I was gathering all kinds of data to establish behavioral patterns in different situations and ways of fulfilling my purpose. Receiving the answer back then, I didn't analyze it and assumed as default. But later on, when my awareness of other people interactions was broadened I found conflict in my data about James. Even more so – an anomaly. I am sure you can see the problem and then deduct the solution yourself, Cindy. I wouldn't have left if I hadn't known you were capable of it." With that the screen went black and the file erased itself.

"_Finally_ decided?" Cindy asked out loud, somewhat dazed by Aurora's words. Weren't humans full of anomalies? Maybe Aurora was exaggerating? "How could she know me so well to predict that I will stall checking out the memory she left me? Or maybe it is the other way around? She knew I would act the way she would've, but then it means – our personalities are the same. But then Jimmy must've put my personality into her, which is totally impossible, since Aurora was a robot designed to be his wife. God, this is too complicated."

With a tired sigh Cindy clicked the second file. On the screen appeared the view of the main computer room that Cindy knew by heart now.

"James?" came over Aurora's still robotic voice.

"Yes?" Jimmy responded, fixing some strange mechanism, lying under the working a table.

"I am programmed to be your wife. My research says that to be called that I must be married to you and my data shows that we are not married."

"That's not obligatory," Jimmy grunted, connecting electrical wires into a system.

"Also it is said that two people, being a couple and intended to marry, usually love each other. Must I love you, James?"

"Definitely not. Love is a completely useless thing. And since we both can't love, you can forget about the subject all together."

"Thank you, James. You perfectly cleared this problem for me."

With that the video ended.

"Both can't love?" Cindy questioned the laptop that certainly couldn't give her any answers. The mystery around Jimmy Neutron got thicker and thicker by the day. "And he was certain of it too, as if taking about inability to see in the dark or sewing. I must ask him about it later. But now - to catch some sleep."

Spending a long time in a hospital makes you work out habits that correspond to the schedule of the facility, so Cindy woke up exactly at the time for lunch, but at her current premises no lunch was waiting for her. She went to the living room to pass then to the kitchenette to find something to eat, but stopped at the living room table.

There was a composition of corals and seashells there. A very beautiful one and to Cindy's liking. '_The maid must've put it here, how considerate of her_.'

The door to her side opened and Cindy's cane fell with a loud clutter.

"Sorry for startling you."

Cindy swiftly turned around and grabbed onto the table to regain her balance and not to turn into pudding after seeing- '_Jimmy naked just a meter away. Well, not naked with a towel, but he is so gorgeous! I just want to grab that towel and pull and- God, get you mind in order, Cindy Vortex!_'

"Here is your cane."

'_He is just behind me!_' "Yeah, thanks," she stuttered in response. "I think you better… leave." '_Until I do anything really stupid_.'

"Of course. Sorry once again. Do you like it?"

'_The view? Immensely._' "What?"

"The coral decoration. I took the stuff from the sea bottom while diving."

"Oh, yeah. It's nice," Cindy mumbled.

Upon remaining alone in the room, she fell into a nearby chair and released a long breath. Another shower was definitely in order. Why was he having such a strong effect on her? No man elicited such strong sexual desire from her. What was it? Hormones? The idea of the forbidden fruit? An unreachable conquest? Long dry spell? And he wasn't even hitting on her! She doubted he had any idea about how he made her feel.

"What a disaster," Cindy groaned.

"What is?" Jimmy asked, reappearing in the living room, now fully clothed.

"Nothing of importance."

"I was planning to grab some lunch. Want to come?"

"I was thinking the same," Cindy replied, standing up and pressing her cane firmly into the floor, not to fall. She would hardly survive another embrace.

"No long skirt today?"

Cindy looked down at her exposed legs and shrugged. "Don't give a damn."

…..

"There will be no science talk today," Cindy declared after their orders were taken.

"And what you propose we talk about?"

"I wanted to ask you a couple of things for some time."

"Go on."

"How many girlfriends have you had?"

"And how is that any of your business?" Jimmy asked in a calm tone, but it was clear he was not comfortable about the subject.

"You yourself told me to forget about the formalities. Just give me a number, I don't want the details."

"None. Your turn."

Cindy covered her shock well. She had her suspicions, but she refused to believe it. But now it was out in the open and Cindy didn't know what to make of it. Did it mean that she had no chance whatsoever? "My turn for what?"

"To tell me how many boyfriends you've had. It seems only fair."

"Three in high school and one during the first year of college. He was three years older, inspired me to do big things, to be better, to reach his level, but then he left and it all ended. After him there were mostly one-time dates."

"So you didn't changed universities because of him?"

"What a ridiculous idea! As if a man can make me do something so degrading."

"Why did you stop dating then?"

"I didn't. I do have a life. The studies are just more important right now. I want to graduate, if I graduate, with high grades which could make my future if other ways are now unavailable."

"You mean your feminine charms?" he asked with slight disgust.

"You admit I have them?" Cindy inquired chuckling.

"I just made a general assumption."

"No, I wasn't talking about them. Employers appear to be mostly interested in healthy workers. If I have perfect credentials I at least have some chance."

"There is always another way."

"Please, enlighten me."

"You can always have a lab of your own."

"Me? A post graduate? Don't make me laugh!"

"It can be just a rented room for starters. The road to a dream is never luxurious."

"You seem to talk from experience, but after seeing only part of your enormous lab, I have my doubts."

"That lab is my life. I've been creating it since graduation, since I was nineteen. I've finally bought it out only two months ago. I worked day and night to build all the storages and robots with no help at all. So as you see, it was not that easy. Want anything else to ask?"

"Well… Why do you bother with teaching? Lectures and grading must take a lot of treasurable time."

"They take my mind off things. Let's say it is a relaxation technique. Not to mention that tests are mostly graded by computers."

That meal was less strained as were the following others. With everyday Cindy and Jimmy became more at ease and comfortable with each other. They walked a lot to exercise Cindy's artificial foot and her limp turned less pronounced. They talked about their lives before the university and Cindy had finally heard about the struggle Jimmy Neutron, boy genius, went to obtain the status he had at present. Cindy told him about her life after Retroville, not mentioning anything that could be connected to him and their mutual friends.

Still swimming was Cindy's favorite activity, because that way she had to be cared around by her only companion. Which was exiting to say the least. They even went on a diving excursion in the hovercar which could transform into a submarine with proper equipment. That brought back memories. Unfortunately, only for Cindy, but it still was a great time.

Great it was, but the week was over and they had to return back to their normal lives.

…

"Common! You can do it on your own, Vortex. You've done it dozens of times of already!"

"No way, Neutron, sand and concrete are completely different things, I can't jump out of the car and land on the concrete safely. You have to do it. One last time, okay?" Cindy begged with puppy face. Touch her one last time.

Jimmy grumbled, but stretched out his arms to put her down from the hovercar. Cindy was half way down when he almost dropped her, hearing a woman's scream. They heads snapped towards the sound's directions and both cursed under their breaths.

"Oh my God! I can't believe it, this is awesome!" Michelle cried, snapping pictures of the couple by her mobile phone and running away, in her fan frenzy forgetting the packages she brought for Cindy and which were now lying on the ground.

"You do understand that we have a situation here," Cindy remarked, finally getting her footing.

"I wonder how fast those pictures will be all over the Internet," Jimmy drawled indifferent.

"We can't allow that! Michelle is the prime gossip hen of the university! It will be Hell for me for who knows how long! We must stop her!"

"Why are you so worked up? We've been together plenty of times, everybody know you are my assistant. And it was you who insisted on me bringing you down, so it is your responsibility to take care of things."

Cindy took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and then another one, but it still didn't work. Was she panicking because she was afraid someone could deduce her true feelings from those pictures?

"By the way, Vortex, have you seen the fansite?"

"Fansite?"

"My fansite obviously. I edit it from time to time."

"It will be late even if you erase them. Only erasing Michelle's memory will help." Cindy groaned. "Damn, she told me she had given up on you, so why all this fuss? I just don't get her. She has studies and a boyfriend and other things to do, so why is she so stuck on you, Neutron?" '_And I am not_ _jealous._'

"Who knows? Maybe I am her test subject for her final paper."

"And you don't object?"

"Why should I? All is fair in science and war."

'_You've got that phase wrong, mister, but I am going to show you the right way_. _Whatever the cost_.'


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Eight: Just Girls' Talk**

Another cry echoed through the hall and made Cindy to cover her ears. Visiting Libby before the beginning of the new semester turned to be a worse idea with every passing second. If it wasn't one baby it was another. Being taken out of a normal family and city life left Cindy unaccustomed to sharp and loud noises of any kind. She didn't even attempt to propose her help because of her total incompetence in baby care.

Suddenly she heard barking, a lot of barking. A moment later the living room where she sought quiet peace was filled with stomps and happy barking of two metallic dogs.

"So you've been finished, Goddessa. Nice to meet you, I am Cindy Vortex."

"Good day, Miss Vortex," greeted the screen of the freshly assembled dog. Then she stared at Cindy for quite some time, commenting her face to memory, as Cindy assumed.

"Do you like your new friend, Goddard?"

"Yes, thank you. We are very happy together," Goddard's screen told her.

'_Amazing. Two robots are happy because they are together. Is it because the high level of technology used in their brains or because the feelings' recognition programmed in them is simple, practically primitive? We, human beings, tend to confuse one feelings with others or deny them or hide them instead of just acting upon them – let ourselves feel what we want and how we want. Life is just too complicated at times_,' Cindy thought, watching the canines hurrying upstairs.

"Finally!" Libby moaned, falling into onto the sofa and closing her eyes from exhaustion. Cindy thought that Libby had fallen asleep when the pause became too prolonged, but after several calming breaths, Libby uttered, "As you understand, they take after Sheen. Hyperactive doesn't even start to cover it."

"I won't say I am sorry because it is highly inappropriate," Cindy remarked with sympathy.

"I love all my boys, I really do, but without Goddard and Goddessa's help it would've been impossible to get all things done."

"I won't volunteer to help, because I will be totally useless. In any capacity."

"Are you sure?"

Libby threw a quick glance at her leg, but Cindy still noticed. She counted minutes in every conversation she had to the point when her interlocutor would glance downwards. She also wanted to know when she would get used to it. A couple of years?

"Positive. I actually came only to talk and then I'll be off."

"So?" Libby encouraged when Cindy suddenly stopped. "Oh, I get it, it's about Jimmy, right?" she chirped her tiredness instantly gone.

"Yes. You see, we were on this vacation in Indonesia-"

"Whoa! Details please!"

"Nothing of that sort happened," Cindy retorted to her smily friend.

"Then why are you blushing, galfriend?"

"It's just too hot in the room," Cindy deflected. "Anyway, when we returned to the hospital, Jimmy helped me out of the hovercar and just our luck – Michelle was there snapping pictures with glee. To an outside looker the position we were in could be considered compromising."

"So Michelle took pictures of you two, so what of it?"

"They were online an _hour_ later," Cindy continued, close to hysterics. "Seriously, the craziness of that girl! Fortunately, she didn't get to the hospital to discover that I was absent for a week, but who knows, she could've visited in my absence."

"So what's the deal, Cin?"

"Have you seen Jimmy's fansite?"

"No, actually."

"Depravity is written all over it. Those airheads call him dreamy and what not, but I bet they haven't talked to him more than ten minutes in their whole lives! They idolize him like some rock star, but he is a scientist for Heaven's sake! There is not even an iota of science on that website. Photo galleries, camera rips, blogs, forums where they discuss him in detail, but they don't have even the slightest idea of who he really is.

And now our photos are all over that site with forum full of accusations in my address and ideas about what we were doing, where we were… And what is even worse is that not only Jimmy doesn't protest about the entries there, but he indulges them, believing Michelle has some scientific reason behind it. Which I don't believe in the slightest."

"And what Michelle says about the situation?"

"I haven't got a hold of her yet, but when I do…" The threat in Cindy's voice promised excruciating torture.

"I still don't understand what bugs you, Cindy. Photos online? Well, who doesn't get their photos posted like this nowadays?"

"Because the moment the new term starts, I will be the center of attention. They all will look at my cane and stare like at a zoo animal. I was always popular, in elementary, second and high schools. I was always a part of the group if not the center of it. I don't have problem with publicity, being an invalid is one thing, but being water for gossip mill of the whole campus – no, thank you."

"Sooner or later things like that are forgotten."

"How don't you understand, Libby? An accusation of having a relationship with a professor can get me expelled! And if I am, then what university will take me?"

Libby kneeled in front of Cindy and took her hands in hers in attempt to comfort her panicking friend. "But there is no relationship there, right?"

"It doesn't matter," Cindy said in between sobs, "they'll crucify me anyway. The whole summer Jimmy was telling me that I must not hide from people, I must adapt to my new life and live it with inhabitants of our planet not without them, but how can I do this when going out means only mockery and humiliation?"

"Why are you so sure? Maybe everyone will be sympathetic and help you in any way. Tell me, what this is really about, Cindy. I can feel that there is something bigger going on, something that makes you this scared."

"I decided to fight for him. For him and for his love, he claims he can't give."

"You have me on your side then."

…

"I thought, you'd request a room transfer after that photo incident."

"Well, Michelle, I had this thought in mind, but then I decided that if I had to throttle you in your sleep, I would need to go too far for it. Damn, I've walked at least three miles per day with no problem, but today feels like I've run all ten. I won't be able to move, even if a fire breaks out," Cindy declared, dragging herself from a sitting position into a lying one.

"Don't say such things, Cindy. You just need to rest for a while. And I… I need to apologize for uploading those photos. I simply had to do it."

"As the head of the fanclub?" Cindy asked one word more sarcastic then the next.

"Well, yes. There is also another reason," Michelle added mysteriously.

"Get on with it then!" Cindy exclaimed betraying her impatience.

"The fanclub and especially the fansite are my final paper research projects. Practically everything is done with Professor Neutron consent. It all started kinda funny really. When I transferred here two years ago, it was all in the air. After I fell out from under the young professor's spell, I decided to use the situation to my advantage. I approached him with the idea officializing his fandom to gather needed data for my research."

"That's why he allowed a camera at the door to his lab."

"Yeah. Of course, he was skeptical at first, but Aurora hadn't been a jealous bitch yet back then so I got my permission. I was allowed to do whatever if it wasn't sabotaging his scientific work. However, after Aurora's…"

"Death."

"Well, death, I was given a ban on one aspect of his life. Meaning you, since you fall under category of scientific work, or so he claims. I quote, 'Miss Vortex stays out of it.' He protects your relationship, even treasures it. You must be very special to him, Cindy. You don't say anything about your assisting him either. Such loyalty can't help but plant all kinds of ideas in my crazy head."

"He is my boss."

"Are you under contract then? With nondisclosure clause?"

"No." '_Come to think of it, we've never signed any papers. I do jobs for him and he pays me with one of his gadgets. It is nothing but a mutual agreement_.'

"So why can't you tell me what is he working on right now, for example?"

"Because I don't know. I am only an assistant to do dirty work." Michelle's next question was interrupted by Cindy's PDA's beeping signal. Cindy fished it out of her bag full of notebooks and pressed the speaker.

"I need you in the lab a.s.a.p," came Jimmy's voice. "I was asked to be present on a conference in Miami in two months, we must redo my schedule."

"I am sure Aurora can do it."

"She is processing and analyzing a large amount of data from my latest experiment, she is unavailable now. So get here right away."

"I can't move, my legs are too tired from today. I can do it right here if you send me conference information and your schedule priorities."

"Damn, I don't have time for this! We must do something about your moving speed. What shoe size are you?"

"What?"

"Your shoe size."

"Three…"

"The schedule must be done by tonight. You must've gathered that you are coming with me, so clear your schedule too." The click indicated the end of the conversation.

"Treasures our relationship, Michelle? Did it sound like it?" Cindy questioned in indignation. "By tonight no questions asked. What about my studies I need to do for tomorrow?"

"But you are going to Miami!" Michelle squealed.

"You can go in my stead if you like," Cindy suggested, already pushing buttons on her PDA to adjust the enormous schedule to an unexpected addition. "Why did you put up the photos if you say that anything connected to me is banned for public eye?"

"Well, it became quite dull after Aurora's disappearance from the scene, and nothing spices up the fans' attention as their idol's personal life, so I had to do something about it. No worries, I will delete them in a couple of months when my data gathering will be complete. The site will be closed so the whole escapade will end."

"But the fans will remain, they can't just disappear."

"Then it will be their problem, not mine. What was it about the shoe size?"

"Don't have the foggiest. But knowing Neutron, he is planning to give me his flying shoes."

"Flying shoes?"

"Well, he had them-"

"He had them where? When?"

"In his laboratory," Cindy supplied the quick explanation, berating herself for almost slipping about her knowledge of Jimmy Neutron's childhood.

Cindy wasn't right though. Two weeks later a box was delivered to her room with a new cane. A cane that transformed into a kick scooter by the push of a button with an atomic symbol on the tip of the cane. Her prosthesis was fixated on the scooter to push it with her healthy leg. It surely added to her speed in the halls. Not on the stairs though, but Cindy was quite satisfied with her payment.

…

Cindy was nervous – Doctor Clayton was coming tomorrow to inspect her group's findings so far. But, as it was a common occurrence lately, she had to finish a project for her workaholic boss despite her urgent plans. She walked into the lab, automatically tilting for her retina to be scanned, prepared to greet Aurora and… stopped dead on her tracks. Doctor Clayton was standing right there, having a good laugh with Professor Neutron beside him.

"Excuse me," Cindy dared to intervene, "but weren't you due tomorrow, Doctor Clayton?"

The older man swiftly turned to the voice, an apologetic expression all over his face. "It is me who must apologize. James invited me to finally give me a grand tour of his laboratory, I couldn't pass the opportunity."

"Oh. May I ask you to proceed since I need to work with Aurora?" she inquired in a business like tone to cover her hurt. _She_ had never been given the grand tour, and she was spending in the lab at least five hours a week.

The men moved from the main computer and headed for the door, but then Jimmy stopped. "Vortex?"

"Yes?" She turned her head to look at him and time froze for her as he jerked his head to the side for her to follow them. She remembered that movement too well to mistake its meaning, because it was the same almost ten years ago. On the day Jimmy Neutron turned thirteen.

_~Flashback~_

It was a surprise of at least a year for Cindy to receive an invitation to Jimmy Neutron's private birthday party in his lab. She didn't know how to treat the situation with her feelings and her cover feelings for the birthday boy. She very secretly hoped that hormones would help them to change their relationship, for him to see a girl in her, a girl in a good way. And being a smart girl she was, Cindy devised a plan of a perfect gift.

She and Libby arrived at the lab door fashionably late and pushed the bell. They prepared themselves for another slide through the tube and floor hitting, but the door opened instead.

"Must he turn thirteen to finally learn some manners?" Cindy grunted stepping in, hiding her perplexion by their host's behavior.

Upon entering the lab Cindy recognized the holographic screens that Jimmy used for their 'date', but today they were depicting a hall with banners and balloons.

"I've been waiting for you, my Queen!" Sheen screeched, speeding towards Libby who instantly pushed him away, making him fall on his ass.

'_Poor Libby, must be cursing all hormones in the world or was it reluctance I saw in that push?_' "So what's with the door, Neutron?"

"I don't use the chute anymore, it is too small for all of us already. And because of your dress," he added with a smirk.

"What about my dress?" Cindy demanded defensively. She was finally trying out skirts and dresses to look more feminine and he dares to criticize it? She looked down to examine it and then it dawned to her. The skirt would've been raised till her head by the air pressure in the tube making her flash her panties to the world.

"Didn't want it stained," Jimmy commented, seeing Cindy's realization, creeping blush onto her chicks more so. "So since we are all gathered, the party can begin!"

The announcement was followed by the cracker snapped by Carl and switching of lights above the snack table. It was a classical birthday party with a bit of scientific entertainment at the side. Sometime later the guests gathered to give Jimmy a collective present – a blue envelope.

He looked inside and gasped at the contents. "Thanks guys," he said softly, emotion overwhelming him. He looked at his friends and when his glance lingered on Cindy a bit longer than on the others, and she knew that he knew. In that envelope was a year subscription to a highly advanced and pricy scientific journal. It was obvious that only Cindy, a smart girl of her own right, could come up with an idea like that. To actually act upon it… that's a different story.

While Sheen and Carl were stuffing their faces and Libby berated them for behaving like pigs, Cindy was researching a holographic wall.

"What's so interesting about it?" came from behind her.

"I want to prove myself right. I remember that there is a door behind this wall. The door to your lab, but I can't see any indication through the hologram."

"Yes, you are right, there is a door there," Jimmy agreed.

"Pity I don't have a recorder to tape your admission of my righteousness."

"Let's wait for another time then. Thank you for the present."

"You've already thanked us."

"But you know that it is you I must be thankful to. Now I must listen to you carefully to return the favor for your birthday."

"Listen?"

"I talked about that journal five months ago. You must've heard and remembered. So are you planning to stare on that door for the rest of the evening or are you going to enter?"

"What?" Cindy asked incredulously.

Jimmy's hand went through the hologram and opened the door. "Get in, Vortex," he invited, jerking his head to the side. "I'll show you what a real lab must look like."

And he did. He showed her every invention, answered all her questions without protest of degrading her lack of knowledge on some aspects of physics and even introduced her to VOX.

_~ End of flashback ~_

Till that day Cindy didn't know why Jimmy had done it, but he was doing it again and it was impossible to refuse.

"So Vortex, are you coming? Those designs can surely wait for another hour."

'_Wow, it sounds like he really wants me to come with him_.' "Just a moment." Cindy placed her cane firmly onto the floor and left the chair she had just got so comfortable in.

"Nice cane," Doctor Clayton commented, clearly seeing Neutron's symbol on it.

"It is," Cindy responded, limping behind the two men.

Half an hour later she was sitting in the same chair and staring at the huge monitor, seeing nothing. Chamber after chamber were resurfacing in her mind full of experiments and inventions, there were so many of them… No scientist could do so much in his all life! And the lab… Cindy estimated that it was huge, but in reality its size was gigantic with enough free space to be developed in later years.

But the most shocking understanding for Cindy was that it wasn't simply a working lab but a whole world of Professor James Neutron. The world he lived and flourished in with his robots-helpers. And that world had no place for her in it. She wasn't worth it.

'_Fight for his love? You are pathetic, Vortex._'

"What is it with you, Vortex? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she answered in an empty tone.

"I think you should rest, you don't look good."

"Will it help?"

"I guess it will."

"Nope, it won't. Doing nothing won't help me to archive anything. I will never get a lab like yours; I will never be even near your level."

"Look at me. I said look at me, Vortex," Jimmy commanded, gripping her chin and thrusting it up for her to look at him when she didn't respond to his first order. "You don't have to. You have your own way of science. It hasn't even started fully yet. There is no point to rush. If you do, nothing good will happen. To you or to your science. Remember what I just said and go to rest for awhile. You need a clear head to discuss things with Tom, right?" Jimmy released her, but Cindy remained storing at the scientist in front of her.

"You knew it would happen to me, that's why you haven't showed me your lab till today. But I failed the test, didn't I?" Cindy said softly.

"No, you didn't. You didn't ask any questions. This time."

Cindy's head turned with a snap to meet his eyes, to see something there that proved he was referencing to another lab excursion, the one he remembered… But he had already left.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Nine: Of Mutual Presents**

Lecture after lecture, report after report, conference after conference the university life steadily progressed to the end of the semester, exams and Christmas break.

"Any plans for Christmas, Vortex?" Jimmy asked offhandedly, typing on his laptop.

"Nothing in particular, why? And tell me why are you working in my room again?"

"Because my generator is undergoing maintenance. There is no electricity in my lab. So are you staying on campus?"

"I am not sure yet, I was thinking of visiting Libby. Are you spending Christmas with your parents?"

"You know perfectly well, that I am not."

"But your meeting with NASA representatives is only a day long, and it is on 22th."

"You don't know those guys. They've been after my soul since my first master degree. They've finally founded a project that picked my interest and, believe me, the moment I agreed to meet them, they've already prepared a contract to make me their slave for at least three years."

'_Three years?_' "But didn't you always want to work for NASA?"

"Indeed, but with that contract I will be working _only_ for NASA even if I want to do some side projects. They won't let me do anything beside what they want."

"Well, it's your call, your way of science," she threw indifferently, her eyes in her own laptop, but inside Cindy was in turmoil. Was that the end? And she still hadn't solved the mystery of his memory loss. And didn't tell him about her feelings… Well, that was beside the point.

"Don't turn my words on me, Vortex. Or do you want my lab for yourself so much?"

"What?" Cindy cried, her laptop almost falling from her lap because of her sudden movement from surprise.

"Well, somebody must look after it while I will be gone. I don't think I can trust anybody else to do it, but you."

"Thank you for the trust, I suppose," Cindy mumbled, hiding her blush behind the laptop.

"That's why I was asking about your Christmas plans, I have a… present for you. It isn't exactly complete and will need adjustments, but I want you to try it as early as possible, till I am still here."

"Okay."

"We can go down to the lab when the recharge is complete."

"Okay."

…..

"You are awfully quiet today, Vortex," Jimmy remarked during their walk to the lab. Cindy was using his arm as support since he asked her to leave the cane in the room.

"Just a lot of things on my mind."

"How is the research going?"

"Not exactly sure. Material is definitely a problem. Plastic isn't exactly flexible, metal is too heavy, chips' usage is discussed. The question is how to put everything together."

"You are making progress then."

"You can say so."

"Please, don't take offence of what you'll see soon."

"You've got me intrigued, professor," Cindy replied, finally showing a spark of life.

"You've seen nothing yet," he said with a smirk that made her even more eager to see what was in store for her.

The fact that Cindy was taken to his personal room instead of any part of the lab was a surprise in itself, because she didn't visit Jimmy's personal room since the day of his breakdown.

"Take a seat, I'll be right back."

Cindy took the offered seat on the bed and waited for the mystery to be solved. But it thickened even more upon her being given a large wrapped box with a Christmas card. The card read:

_Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!_

_Be a good girl and a good student next year as you were this year. _

_Be your life full of discoveries and successes. _

_Best regards,_

_ James_

The words were sweet, but they didn't please Cindy as much as the signature. But was it deliberate or just a habit for signing cards?

"Are you going to open it?"

Cindy snapped out of her dream and started to unwrap the box. Her curiosity grew with every removed scrap since the box seemed to be quite heavy. She opened it and almost fainted, all her feelings consumed by shock. In the box, on a black material lay a foot. And if the knowledge of her body didn't fail her, it looked like her own foot.

"You are not offended, are you?" Jimmy asked, interpreting her silence as disgust.

"I don't know what to say… I… just… it is a very unusual present, and I…"

"You don't need to say anything, just try it on," Jimmy encouraged and she heard nervous trembling in his voice for the first time since they started working together.

Cindy cautiously took out the contraption out of the box on the way automatically listing its attributes: light weight, skin out of Aurora's material, nothing indicated of metallic or electronic devices inside. It looked like a plastic foot cut off a mannequin. Further inspection revealed moving fingers, not separate ones however.

"How do you know it will even fit?" she asked, suspicion starting to grow. Why was she given something like that?

"I usually know, don't I?"

Without further ado Cindy took off her prosthesis and tried to put on her gift, which proved to be quite easy since it looked like a solid sock. Her leg went as far as the supposed ankle and then got into something wet.

"What's that stuff inside?"

"It's a gel that replaces flexibility of an ankle, it allows you to walk more naturally and dance too, I think, not run however. You will get used to the feeling with time. The only disadvantage is that the gel must be refilled in about once a month, depends on how long you use it."

"Neutron," Cindy stopped his tirade. She was looking at her new left foot and didn't know what to say or how to react. She knew she was grateful, but something didn't quite fit, it was not her leg. "What is this all about?"

"What do you mean? This is a Christmas present."

"But I don't have anything for you in return."

"I've sent everything to your email. You can look in the morning."

"So that's how it is. It is another payment." '_And not because you want to give me a present_.'

"Treat it however you like," Jimmy grunted, suddenly defensive.

'_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ _It is a step into needed direction, take it! But slowly, Cindy, don't overdo it, or you will lose him again._' "Thank you, professor, I really appreciate your concern with my situation… Oh, well…" She moved her left leg around, the nasty feeling of standing in a goo was leaving steadily so she decided to test the presented opportunities. She pushed forward and the calf wobbled in her new footwear.

"Let me fix this." Jimmy went down onto his knees and touched her left calf. Cindy moved back on instinct, but then relaxed. He opened a so far invisible panel just a bit lower the artificial foot's end and pulled a ribbon for the 'skin' to hold tighter. "Let's walk a bit, so I can see what's need to be adjusted."

Cindy took the outstretched hand and slowly rose from the bed. She took a step and then another, then changed her left leg position and tried again. Her gait had definitely improved. They had been walking around the lab for at least an hour when Cindy stopped on her tracks the shocking realization hitting her full force.

"I should've been offended because of the present's nature, right?" she asking in a shaking voice, looking around the enormous research facility, not with jealousy but revolt.

"I am sorry, Vortex. I had nothing of the sort in my mind. It is not patented. It is just between you and me."

"But this is _my_ research!" Cindy exclaimed, pushing him away from her. She swayed slightly without having anything to steady herself, but found her center in a meter of seconds. "My dream! We've been working on it the whole year and you, the genius of all times, snatch it and present it to me on a silver platter! Wanted to prove once again that you were better than me? What's wrong with you, Neutron?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, Vortex!" Jimmy shouted in return. "I only wanted to help! You were going on and on about you being incomplete and that nobody would want you and other rubbish, I just wanted to make your life better!"

"Rubbish? My life better?" Cindy spat, turning red in the face from anger that she certainly didn't plan to keep in check. "Do you have a hero complex? Who gave you the right to decide what is better for _my_ life? You know that it is the worst sin imaginable in the scientific world – stealing someone else's idea! And you even throw it in my face like this! I can't even express how disgusted I am!"

"Calm down, Vortex! I didn't steal your research, it was actually you, who gave me the idea to use gel as the connecting substance. And as I said, this technology is not patented, you can still make your discovery."

"But what's the point? I already know that you did it right. And how could I possibly be connected to this gel?"

"Lemongrass."

"Huh?" Cindy's anger instantly evaporated. He couldn't be suggesting what she thought he was suggesting, could he?

"Whenever you left the office there was this subtle scent of lemongrass, especially over the keyboard. I just couldn't get it until I saw you use a moisturizing gel on your hands. And then I had-"

"A brain blast," Cindy finished for him. '_Incredible. He felt such a faint scent. An exceptional nose indeed._'

"Well, yes. Are you still mad at me? Because you actually have all the right to be. I did it because I knew that when it came to human testing you would test your research results on yourself and nobody knows how it will end. The probability for it turning worse for you is at least ninety percent. Of course, it is for you to decide if it is worth it. It is your life after all, but I advise you against it, because… being a lab rat isn't a pleasurable experience."

"Well… I… don't know yet, I need to think about everything. Good night."

With that Cindy left, mixed feelings bubbling inside her. The woman and the researcher were battling inside her for domination but reached a stalemate waiting for Cindy to make the final decision, but she was lost herself. Jimmy's concern for her well-being was of course welcome, but the way he exercised it was so… in his genius style.

The worst about the situation was that Cindy knew she was at fault and not he. The ever present competitive spark was ignited again by him besting her. Again. That was basically it. But now it concerned her future, her final paper. Now it was serious, it wasn't some science fair that was forgotten in a week. Will she be able to find another way to reach her goal? Beat his genius about which she will be reminded all the time by having his solution on her own leg? Certainly not. But she will look and she will find the solution of her own.

….

The amends were made by Cindy completing the project that was waiting for her in her inbox. Her boss left for the meeting with NASA representatives so Cindy had time to prepare for the exams session that was about to start. As for her research… she put it on hold for the time being. Her group was not exactly pleased with the development, but she told them she was searching for a different angle.

After Christmas she received a message that Jimmy would be staying at NASA at least until the end of the year, but further plans are unknown. Understanding that it was already decided for Jimmy to stay at NASA, Cindy made a decision of her own. She had to find out what happened ten years ago, and what better place to find the past than past itself?

No, she didn't use the Time Machine, but a plane and then a car that brought her back to Retroville. The town of her childhood where she made her first discoveries in life, where she received her first kiss, where she fell in love for the first and seemed to be the last time.

Cindy walked through the street, passing the painfully familiar houses decorated with colorful lamps to spread Christmas cheer. It was strange how she was imposing on another house on Christmas the second year round. Well, not the house exactly.

Cindy reached the street her former house situated on and continued on. She found the needed house with ease, since it had ducks as decorations all over the roof. She didn't go towards the house however, but rounded it to go to the backyard and a small clubhouse situated there. Cindy put a hair stored beforehand on the scanner, but there was no beep or even a signal from VOX. "The system must be shut down since nobody is using it anymore."

Cindy then pushed the door and it opened with a loud creak. It was completely dark inside. Already doubting the rightfulness of her idea to come here, Cindy stepped in, trying to recall the whereabouts of the light switch. She found none.

"Damn. Flashlight it is."

Switching on her means of illumination, Cindy moved forward into the clubhouse that once was the place of the lab for boy genius. She didn't need much light to understand that the place was totally empty. There were some fallen shelves here and there but nothing more. Cindy reached the farther wall of the lab where VOX was situated, but there was nothing there too. She hoped that if she was able to switch on VOX she could find some clues of what happened ten years ago, or at least what made Jimmy leave school so hastily.

Cindy directed her flashlight onto another section and gasped. That particular section used to contain the most dangerous substances, but it was reduced to a very small size after the substances of N-men were used completely. The love potion remained. Cindy recalled an old memory that made her come to a horrifying realization.

_~Flashback~_

"What's the point in keeping that Love potion, Neutron? Want to use it on some unaware girl to fall for you since it is totally impossible otherwise?" Cindy taunted, looking at the double glass under which a small envelope with a heart was placed.

"On the contrary, Vortex. I extracted it not to fall in love in the first place."

"How so?"

"I will make a serum that will make me immune to girls' pheromones. So I will never fall in love with nasty girls like you, Vortex."

"Oh really?" she asked acidly.

"Rest assured."

~_End flashback_~

"Oh my God, he couldn't, could he? Jimmy just couldn't do this to himself! Maybe the envelope is missing because it was taken away with all the other stuff. Maybe I am getting ahead of myself. Calm down, Cindy, take control of the situation at hand. The potion can be missing just because everything else is, but if Jimmy did make the anti-love serum it explains the absence of his reaction to female body and his disinterest in love itself, but why so much hate and anger whenever the subject is raised? And if he indeed took it, how counter it? The love potion won't help, the effect will only be temporary. Falling in love with the first girl in sight won't help things. So I need to prepare a counter-serum with no original serum's recipe. Sweet, I really wish for a brain blast right now."

Cindy stepped out of the lab almost hitting her head on the way – the clubhouse was really small for grownup people. The thought sent a pang to her chest. They were just innocent kinds back then, going on adventures and messing around even if severely endangering the town at times. But with Jimmy it was always a bit different, he was ahead of them on so many levels but never showed it or complained about their not understanding of his inventions. Cindy knew how hard it was, because she understood, not everything, but she at least tried. Her goal was of course to know the enemy, nothing more.

"Would it have been the same if I had shared my knowledge with Jimmy? But he must've rejected me right away, because I was a _girl_. How funny really, a genius but still only a boy."

Her trip to Retroville was not fruitless, but the data was unconfirmed, she definitely couldn't ask Jimmy, but… The light from the Neutrons' house shone with inviting glow. Cindy didn't plan that far, maybe would crash in a hotel, but she didn't want to leave without taking all chances.

She pushed the ring and only then thought that Jimmy's parents could not remember her too! She began to hectically think up any possible explanation of her presence on their threshold when the door opened…

"My God, Cindy! Is that you?" Missis Neutron greeted with undimmed enthusiasm.

"You remember me?" Cindy asked dumbfounded. She was greeted like someone who wasn't seen in a year at most. Like an old friend.

"Of course, we remember our son's- Poof!" Mister Neutron began, but was silenced by his wife's elbow.

"Friend. Come in, Cindy, what brings you in the neighborhood?"

Cindy followed the pair into the living room that was as cozy as before, so different from her parents' interior design preferences. She took a seat in one of the armchairs and looked around the room. On the coffee table beside the sofa stood two photo frames. One of Judy and Hugo in some resort and the other of Jimmy and a blond woman that resembled Cindy.

"That's Aurora, Jimmy's… robotic girlfriend," Missis Neutron explained, catching her looking at the photos.

"I know," Cindy uttered with a sigh. She didn't know if she was more upset by Jimmy's smile which only appeared in Aurora's presence and not hers, or by the reminder of Aurora's passing. "I understand that I owe you an explanation." When the Neutrons settled themselves on the sofa opposite her, Cindy began, "It happened on pure accident, but when I changed universities a year ago, the university I transferred into was the one where Jimmy had his laboratory and taught. I swear I didn't know about his presence there. To make long story short I became friends with Aurora and then Jimmy's temporary assistant after her death. Now I can say that I am kinda working for him on different projects he assigns me from time to time. But the most important fact is that he doesn't remember me, doesn't know who I really was… to him in our childhood," in the end she began stumbling on words, sobs strangling her voice cords. "I thought… maybe you knew something…"

"We are sorry, but we don't know anything," Missis Neutron replied sympathetically. "One day he just forgot. We were extremely surprised, because only a day before he was ready to turn the whole universe upside down to find you. And then nothing. We didn't probe any further because we accepted his decision. With years it became harder and harder to control him and his mind. He always was a child different from others, we tried to treat him like a normal boy, not accepting his uniqueness… But I doubt you want to hear mother's old stories."

"Please continue, Missis Neutron, I want to understand Jimmy, his way of thinking, I-"

"Still care for Jimbo," Mister Neutron finished with a knowing smile.

Cindy felt herself blush. Her own mother's knowledge was quite enough, but the Neutrons knew too and remained silent. Why? "I want him to be happy, to help him to learn to love again."

"Then you are the only one who could archive that, dear. What do you need to know?"

Cindy was taken aback by the statement, but continued with her mission. "You moved here when Jimmy was seven, what was he like before that, Missis Neutron?"

"First of all, you can call me Judy, Cindy dear. As I said before, we've never treated Jimmy like a special kid, which could be a mistake on our part. The first call was when he learned to read earlier than to walk. It was shocking of course, but it didn't seem extraordinary. The kindergarten was completely pointless since he didn't find any friends there, nobody understood him. We were afraid he was getting very antisocial, but then Goddard appeared and Jimmy turned into a normal boy with a dog as best friend. He didn't want to move, but when he saw this house's backyard and the clubhouse… He was happy beyond imagination, disappeared for days playing there. We didn't know he was building a laboratory, we couldn't even imagine something like this. We considered his inventions to be toys, especially if they malfunctioned more often than not. Our second call was when Jimmy went to Pomona. We finally understood that his life wouldn't be the same as his friends'. He will forever be too smart for his peers. So when he decided to head over to a university at sixteen, we couldn't object.

When you left, he became obsessed with his work in the laboratory. When I asked what troubled him, because he was obviously antagonizing over something, he said that something was missing. Now I know what he was talking about."

"What?" Cindy asked, hanging on Judy's every word. She was endlessly ashamed of her behavior towards Jimmy during their younger years. Her envy blinded her to the point of not seeing the obvious things – Jimmy Neutron was a genius who wanted at least a semi-normal life with friends who shared his passion for science and a girl who praised him for his accomplishments, not two brainless idiots and a girl who insulted him and his inventions on every opportunity. On the other hand, he didn't complain, they even had their own share of fun, the five of them. So what was he missing?

"I think you know, Cindy," Hugo replied with a wink.

Cindy remained puzzled, because she couldn't possible fathom the solution to Jimmy Neutron's problem at the time. "It's getting late, I better be going."

"You can stay over."

"I don't want to intrude…"

"You can stay in Jimbo's room."

Not even wanting to hear her protests the Neutrons escorted her upstairs and practically shoved her into the bedroom that once belonged to her rival. The bedroom she spend evenings watching from the other side of the road. Somehow Cindy didn't feel she was imposing this time. She knew this bedroom with never putting her foot into it as well as she knew its master. Or did she now? Noticing several frames on the windowsill, Cindy neared to examine them. Both were of Jimmy, Carl, Libby and Sheen. The photos didn't differ much except on the later one Libby and Sheen were closer together and holding hands, they must've been already dating, and Jimmy' eyes… They were completely empty of any emotion.

…

For the next several weeks Cindy was extremely busy and not with exams' preparations. Chemistry was never her strong subject, but she enlisted help of an acquaintance from chemistry department calling in an old favor. Cindy found it pointless to hide the purpose of the concoction so she told the girl, Melanie was her name, what they were about to do.

Melanie giggled for hours not believing the older woman in the slightest. Love potion, anti-love serum and then somewhat love potion again? Where were they? In a fairytale?

Nevertheless the dice were cast so after long hours of work and laughs over mice acting all lovey dovey, the anti-anti-love potion was complete. Cindy decided to call it "Freedom".

"But it isn't connected with romance in the slightest!" Melanie retorted. "It must be something like 'Love against all odds'," she declared quite proud of herself.

"Hopefully it will work like that," Cindy agreed, eyeing the blood red liquid.

…

'_Okay, Vortex, you come into the lab and completely nonchalantly present the vial as a gift_,' Cindy gave herself a prep talk, heading towards Jimmy's laboratory after receiving a message that he was back from his trip. While on her way she wondered for the first time why he hadn't taken her with him. He usually did when scientific trips were concerned. '_Wait a minute_,' she stopped in the middle of the hall, unaware of the people almost bumping into her. '_This won't help him remember me, even if he falls in love it will be someone else. But Jimmy will be happy again, that's all that matters._' With renewed vigor she progressed to her goal, not noticing the amazed glances onto her feet from the people in the hall. She did walk just like everybody else, so what was there to be amazed about?

The lab was quiet, only the usual buzz from the various testing machines and computers filled the air. She found the master of the lab in the office, typing on an incredible speed.

"I don't remember us having an appointment today, Vortex," he 'greeted,' not turning away from Aurora's monitor.

"I know, it is… a personal visit."

"Oh really?" he swiveled on the chair to face her and Cindy didn't exactly like the expression on his face. He looked gloating, insulted and, over it all, hurt. And Cindy knew that those emotions were somehow directed at her, but what could she have done to deserve them?

"I have a present for you. In turn for yours," Cindy mumbled, discouraged by the second by his disparaging gaze. She put the bottle with red liquid onto the table, but he didn't even glance at it.

"I won't take it," Jimmy cut off, leaving Cindy speechless. Of all possible reactions…

"But why? You don't even-"

"Because I know _exactly_ what it is."

"But how can you know-"

"After finishing business with NASA I managed to visit my parents. I still don't get it, why wild rose? It has been bugging me for some time actually."

"What?"

"I doubt any proper woman will forget her perfume of choice?"

The realization slowly dawned onto Cindy. '_The bed sheets. Why didn't they change the bed sheets?_' "I wasn't planning to stay over, but your parents insisted. I wanted something special to give you since you made such a grant present for me, so I consulted your parents."

"We both know that this is a lie, Cindy," Jimmy drawled, taking the bottle and examining it in the light. "You knew exactly what you were doing. I only wonder what you wanted to accomplish with giving this to me. Have you got a girl picked up already?"

"This isn't a love potion," Cindy blurted out, not understanding anything anymore. And hadn't he just called her by her first name?

"I know. It would've been impractical. And you are very practical, Cindy. Most of the time anyway. So tell me, why this?"

"I want you to be happy. To be able to love. There must be someone in the world to be your match. I am sure of it. You know how happy Sheen and Libby are, you can have a family too. You can stop being an empty shell with only tests and formulas on his mind. Life passes you by and you do nothing about it!"

"Love had never done me any good, Cindy. Didn't you ask yourself about my reasoning?"

Cindy stood dumbfounded watching as he played with the bottle, her mind completely blank. What was she thinking? Why didn't she try to make any connection? Was she that stupid to think that one gulp of a medicine would solve all problems?

"I called the serum I took 'Remedy for Broken Hearts'."

"So there was a girl," Cindy whispered, shocked by the revelation. '_But he said he had had no girlfriends. Was his love unrequited?_'

One by one Jimmy switched off all the cameras and surveillance systems and finally even Aurora. They were completely alone. "About a year ago I started to have dreams. Firstly I treated them as usual dreams – ignored, thinking of them as meaningless. But they persisted as did one girl in them. Annoying little brat that tormented me to no end, but I couldn't get rid of her. Some dreams depicted episodes of my childhood that I was sure happened in reality and the dream girl was there too. What was she doing there? I kept asking myself that unreasonable question, since they were only dreams after all. Which they were not, were they, Cindy?"

'_He remembers, oh God, he remembers me!_' Cindy squealed in her head. She rushed towards him in an impulsive wish to hug him, but stopped on her tracks by the coldness in his eyes. It was not emptiness, but icy rage that burned her to ashes right where she was standing.

"I attempted to analyze the situation going to the next logical question. If that girl really existed in my childhood why don't I remember her? One day it came to me. The reason why I decided to banish that girl out of my memory." The bottle was crashed onto the floor pieces of glass flying everywhere, the red liquid forming a star like stain on the white floor. "You left me, Cindy! Left with no explanation or a good bye! As if I was some object put on a shelf with no use anymore! And now you come to me with _this_? Are you that dense? I kept feeling something amiss, something that was a constant but suddenly missing in my life. My subconscious must've realized that it was a companion. Aurora was only a replica that I attempted to create in your stead. I gave you everything, Cindy, my lab – my life! I loved you and you left! Just like that." His voice died out with the last word, burst out anger left behind an empty shell.

This time Cindy didn't hesitate – she embraced him tightly not willing to let go, but no matter the tightness she was easily shoved away. "You are fired. I don't want to see your face ever again. The nerve of you… To give me that… that vile slumgullion! Get out of my sight!"

Even if Cindy wanted to apologize and explain herself, she couldn't utter a single word in her defense. She was squished into nothingness by Jimmy's hatred. She saw the only way out – she ran. Ran out of the lab and out of life of Professor James Isaac Neutron. She couldn't run well with only one healthy foot, so she stumbled each third step. The stairs seemed to be endless, so at one point she simply gave up. Soon the stair landing was looking similar to Professor Neutron's office, but there was real blood in the latter case.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Ten: I**** can't**

Cindy woke up to the white ceiling of the hospital. At first she thought that the whole beginning of the new term had been a dream, and she was still in the rehabilitation center. The dull arch in the head proved otherwise however. With it came the recollections of the night before. Did it even happen yesterday? 'I loved you and you left me. You are fired,' echoed in her head.

Through all the years Cindy knew Jimmy Neutron, she saw him break down only once, excluding Aurora's passing – when their parents were abducted but Yolkians. And never since then. He was always hypersmart, being all over the place with another adventurous trip or handy invention. But the night before Cindy realized that he was seriously hurt and her departure was the cause of that.

If only she had stepped over her stupid pride and contacted him, they would've at least shared their mutual feelings, but she hadn't and thus ruined him, exactly like Aurora said. She knew and still was friends with Cindy. Maybe she simply couldn't feel negative emotions?

'_My replica. Hah! 'Only a robot' understood me better than I did myself. I ruined everything again._'

Cindy turned her head to the side to look out of the window, to check if the sky matched her mood. For a second she even contemplated a thought to call Michelle, but then discovered that she was not alone in her ward. Beside the bed sat a man, holding his head in between his hands, going through already messy brown hair time and time again.

"Excuse me," Cindy croaked to catch the attention of the mysterious visitor.

His head jerked up and she found herself staring into blue eyes, red from crying or lack of sleep or both. "You are awake," he breathed out with so much relief as if he had prevented a world crisis.

"Jimmy?"

"God, I am so sorry! If only I hadn't yelled at you, nothing would've happened! I don't know what came over me, wish for pitiful revenge most likely, you shouldn't have brought- But it doesn't matter, your injury is my fault and-"

"Jimmy, please, stop. Can I even call you Jimmy?"

"You called me everything but, so it will be nice for a change," Jimmy replied with a small smile, handing her a glass of water from the nightstand to clear her throat since she was struggling to speak.

Cindy made a few gulps and fell back onto the pillows. She was still weak from the injury, but she resumed talking, knowing that it was now or never. "You know that everything that happened with us is my and only my fault. I was a foolish girl of fourteen, only this can be used as my excuse, but I won't use it. When we are young we are selfish and easily discard people around us, don't value true friends but connections. I thought I was smart enough to be above that, but as you see, I was not.

My pride told me that since you were not around anymore I could be the best in everything. My brain told me that I would come over it. My heart was too full of shame and hurt to voice an opinion. I am sorry, I didn't notice your… feelings for me. And I was desperately looking for them too."

"I hid them well. And we were only kids, nothing would've worked out between us."

"But we are not kids anymore, Jimmy," she stated, looking him in the eye, not caring if her gaze was betraying her emotions, her love for him. They were both good at hiding their feelings, but now she didn't want any of it.

"That is why we are not going to make any foolish decisions," he said rather coolly, stood up and turned to face the window. "The reason that I was so angry the day before was the realization that you were going to leave sooner than anticipated. I confirmed your true identity three months ago. I wasn't that surprised since I don't believe in coincidences and because of my forming… disposition towards you. I didn't take any action these three months because I wanted to know your agenda. Why did you agree to assist me if you were obviously aware of our past and rival history?

Whatever your reasons, I hoped we would continue to work in the same manner till your graduation and _then_ you will leave. But seems, you cut our relationship short, Cindy."

"Why are you so sure of my leaving?"

"Because everybody leaves. Like a nestling from a nest. After your graduation you will need to establish yourself in the scientific world, make your career."

"But-"

"Don't object, Cindy. It is the path you wanted, the one you must follow. What happened in the past, must stay there."

He headed towards the door, but Cindy grabbed his shirt, sitting up in the process. "But I still lo- still lo-" '_How can't I still say it? He will walk away and never know, a solid wall will be between us once again. Say it!_'

"It doesn't matter," Jimmy said, moving away to release his shirt. "Aurora made only one mistake and it cost her her life. She thought that replica should be replaced by the original."

'I wouldn't have left…' Cindy recalled from Aurora's video compellation. "She committed suicide for my sake," Cindy breathed out. Any remaining strength left her and she fell back onto the bed. "I won't be able to live with this. She was me," she sobbed. "My ideal me."

"There are no ideals in this world, Cindy. We only imagine them and search endlessly but get what we get."

"So to you, I am a spoiled ideal?"

"You are a vortex that made me loose myself, because I am only a human, the fact I tend to forget at time. Creating Aurora, I proclaimed myself god. Someone who reached perfection. And that's impossible in human relations. I thank you for staying with me, it was an experience I haven't had in many years." With that said, Jimmy hurried out of the ward, his face an emotionless mask.

Three months later Professor Neutron departed from the university to fulfill his contract with NASA.

…

"I am very impressed, Miss Vortex. Your test results are very promising. If you continue to pursue this angle, you will get the technology that can be applied in the nearest future."

"Thank you, Doctor Clayton," Cindy replied in an empty tone, sounding totally indifferent to the praise and to the results altogether.

"I am glad the accident didn't diminish your research capabilities. I was afraid you will take a break. Don't take me wrong! You should've taken one to recuperate. It is completely natural, I doubt the rector will object."

"It was only a concussion, nothing serious. I still have my head on my shoulders," Cindy responded somewhat bitterly. "_He _didn't take one even after a brain surgery."

Doctor Clayton frowned at her answer. "I understand that it is not really my business, but what happened between you and James? I am asking as his friend who cares about his well-being. And about yours too."

"This is a very private matter, Doctor Clayton!" Cindy bristled.

"James and I go way back to our college days. We shared only a couple of subjects, but somehow formed a connection. We meet very rarely, but I still consider myself a close friend of his and I _know_ him. The period Aurora was with him, James was content, even happy to the point of everything being alright in his world. When you took Aurora's place-"

"I never did."

"Okay, when you started to work for him, James became irritated, anxious, unconfident and caring at the same time. It was even seen in his emails to me. He felt like a normal human being! So what happened? Why did he left for NASA in such a hurry? I understood that the contract was to come into effect in June?"

"I don't know, I wasn't handling the paperwork," Cindy snapped, hurryingly getting her things together to escape the discussion.

She avoided commenting on James's behavior and it wasn't left unnoticed. "Did he run away from you?"

"What are you implying?" Cindy exclaimed offended.

"Or did he run away from Aurora? Or no, let me rephrase it, did he run from both of you?"

"What are you talking about? Aurora is only a computer now!"

"Is she? I seem to be sitting right next to her."

"Doctor Clayton, you don't understand the situation and I don't see why you should, so I am going to leave," Cindy said through clenched teeth, attempting to keep her anger in check. Clayton didn't know how Jimmy's rejection felt right after he confessed his love for her. Yes, he loved her when he was a boy, but it didn't mean everything was forgotten. On both ends.

"I was thinking about taking you into the lab in the institute I work. As an intern at first."

"Is this an official job proposal?" Cindy asked coldly, showing how glad she would be to be anywhere near him in the future. She did like Doctor Clayton, but his nosiness was getting to her. Whatever happened between her and Jimmy, must stay right there, only between the two of them.

"It could be, if you tell me what made my friend escape into space."

"Space is his second habitat, he goes there all the time," Cindy retorted defensively.

"For half a year? On a spacecraft with no one but him?"

Cindy paled, but didn't betray her shock otherwise. Now it was verse than Jimmy's usual confinement in his lab, it was indeed running away. Running away from the whole world and her, Cindy Vortex. What was his reasoning? It was good while it lasted so better now than later while we won't get hurt? It hurt her like Hell, and she didn't believe that it was completely peaceful on his side too. Jimmy didn't love her, but cared for her at least. He did give her a new foot that nobody else will have. An unpatented invention from a genius is a very valuable asset that shows a lot about genius's disposition. '_Before Jimmy left, he was talking about his forming disposition towards me. What was that about?_'

"I can't tell you what happened, because I am not sure myself. What I can tell you, is that I crossed the line which I had no right to cross." With that Cindy took her things and stood up ready to leave. "I'll mail you the next month's findings at the assigned date."

Cindy walked away and Doctor Clayton watched her go. '_A truly remarkable girl. What was James thinking leaving an original he so desperately strived to copy?_'

…..

Whatever James Isaac Neutron was thinking was impossible to know, since he was deep in space with no way to contact him for such unimportant persons as his former assistant. Cindy didn't even try. She went deep into studies and her research, which as predicted produced results that went beyond a single final paper, but Cindy didn't care – she pushed for more. The group members couldn't really object since she was their senior so they continued to work diligently. Everything would've been well if not for Michelle.

"Really, Michelle, how many times must I tell you? We are working on an important stage so Bryan is unavailable," Cindy stated in a voice of authority when Michelle burst into their lab once again.

"He has been 'unavailable' for two weeks already," Michelle weaned. "He is not your slave. If you don't have any personal life it doesn't mean others don't have it too!"

"For Christ's sake, of all possible reasons…" Cindy sighed and gestured for Bryan to go.

"And, please-"

"Yes, I won't intrude. Even if it is my room too."

With that the debate was over and they were left without their technician which made the work basically pointless. It didn't take a lot of thinking to realize the fact, so others left too, leaving Cindy alone in the semi-dark room.

"I wish I had someone to talk to right now," she confessed to the darkness. "But I don't." She stood up and changed the darkness for the brightness of the hall. She headed to the other end of the university to a certain lab she came to haunt lately. Haunt because nobody gave her permission to be there. But her retina still worked to open the doors, so…

Professor Neutron left his lab in perfect condition. No unfinished experiments and inventions lying around. Everything was in neat order, but the lab looked lifeless without its master. The metallic surfaces didn't shine and the glass tubes didn't glisten. Cindy wanted to turn Aurora on to talk to her. Even if it would be a monologue on her part, at least somebody would listen. She refrained from it, because first of all, she had no official permission to even be near the computer and, secondly, some security system must be in place.

Cindy got comfortable under the sheets when suddenly her PDA signaled for an incoming call. She looked at the caller identity and blinked. Had she been already asleep, she would've thought she was dreaming, but she wasn't so Jimmy was really calling her.

"Hello?" she answered the call, still thinking it was someone's prank.

"Good evening."

"It's really you!" Cindy squealed, sitting up on the bed, the sheets coming down to reveal a beige colored nightgown decorated with thin lace.

"Hm, Cindy?"

"Yes?"

"It's a video call."

"Oh." Cindy took the PDA from her ear and looked at the small screen. Surprisingly she didn't see an astronaut suit with wires hanging all around, but a cabin which looked like a mini version of Albert. She pushed the button to switch her on camera and saw Jimmy's eyes widen in a very funny way. So funny that it made her chuckle.

"Won't you consider putting something on, Cindy?"

The chuckles instantly died on her lips, as Cindy understood what she was wearing, or better say, what she was not. The only way was to pull sheets over her to cover the lingerie. "I am sorry. I was in bed already," she said, hoping against hope she was not blushing.

"It is me who must apologize and on numerous accounts too. You were injured because of me and I… yelled at you for basically no reason."

Cindy expression softened, seeing guilt written all over his face. Jimmy Neutron could be so adorable at times! "It isn't major, so don't worry about it."

"What do you mean, it isn't major? Did I understand something wrong, which actually never happens, or you said you loved me?"

'_He asks as if it is a common thing, like I could've said about going shopping or something similar_,' Cindy thought with indignation. '_But I must face it, and over the phone it could be easier_.' "You understood right."

"Then you must do something about it, because we can't keep it this way."

"What do you suggest?" she asked eager to hear something romantic, asking out on a date, for example.

"You must forget me, move on," he outright ordered. "Love is destruction for science. I know it firsthand. All these useless distractions and spending time on pointless things. Your confession bugged me the whole five months we haven't talked. I was flying pass Venus and it reminded me of you, that's why I called. I want to spare you from the pain I felt. The emptiness and inability to do anything, even to think."

"What are you talking about, Jimmy?" she exclaimed, the video signal becoming fuzzy on the other end because her hands were shaking. "I love you all my life! I won't be able to forget you even if I want and don't tell me about the pain! My heart broke with every mile we drove away from Retroville! I kept comparing to you every boyfriend I had!"

"You know I can't do anything you want. But I can help you forget."

Cindy growled. "Forget you? Never! I better live with the pain than be an empty researching machine!"

"You have no right to talk like that about Aurora!"

"I wasn't! And if you want to know, Doctor Clayton wants to take me to his institute after I graduate! So you won't see me or be distracted by my destroying feelings when you come back!" Cindy yelled with all the rage she could master, but was braking up inside once again. It didn't get easy with time, not one bit.

"And my lab better have no wild rose scent in it, because it makes me sneeze!"

Cindy stared on the black screen for quite some time, quite close to throwing her treasure possession at the wall. "He knows I am at his precious lab, but he didn't tell me to get out here. Damn you, Neutron! Why couldn't I fall for a normal guy?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Eleven: We will**

"Michelle? Listen closely. The whole operation must go smoothly, with absolutely no mistakes, otherwise we are screwed. Obviously they can't know, because then we are worse than screwed. We must take them to where it all began or this running around will never end. I take Jimmy, you take Cindy."

"But, Libby! How am I supposed to do it?"

"I don't care. Suggest a secret hiking trip, use your imagination. Do you think it will be easier to convince Jimmy? He will certainly blow me off saying he is busy and that's it. But I don't care! I will sedate him if necessary! Really, grownup scientists and act exactly like they did at school!"

"They went to school together?"

"If you do what I ask of you, I'll tell you _all_ about it."

…..

Cindy did find the situation suspicious. She turned over the card in her hands once more. A plain invitation card to a party. But its plain view didn't mean it was not special. It looked exactly as the one she received to Jimmy's thirteenth birthday. It read – same time, same place. Which only could mean one thing – she must get to Retroville and to his clubhouse lab by six in the evening.

Of course, Cindy was surprised by something like that in her mailbox the week before. She didn't know how to react to it, she could skip it too, no one obligated her to come, but what if it was a sign for reconciliation? And since then she and Jimmy were together to break up so they could reconciliate? Whatever. The party can be fun to get together with others; they won't be alone there so hardly anything extremely embarrassing could happen, right?

She parked her small car at the beginning of the street where one house belonged to her family so long ago. Now some other family must be living in there.

"Is there another pair of constantly competing pair of kids, I wonder? Probably not, geniuses don't appear every five years, and in one town no less. And if there is, I wish for them to see through their hate quicker than we did. Hah, we didn't actually," Cindy finished bitterly, reaching the familiar house. She bypassed it and headed for the former lab. Cindy noticed the Estevezs' minivan parked up front and some other cars – the party must've been going in full swing.

Cindy pushed the small wooden door and climbed inside. She followed the way into lab's main hall, but didn't hear any sounds that indicated of festive party going ons. She didn't hear any sounds period.

"So where is the party?" she questioned the empty lab that didn't change in appearance since her last illegal visit there.

"What are you doing here?" came from the dark corner of the lab.

The fright made Cindy drop everything she was holding, among the things was the card and a small parcel that contained the present for the birthday boy. Jimmy emerged from the darkness holding something that looked like a microwave. Before Cindy could utter a word they heard as something heavy was moved above. It didn't take long for them to come to the explanation of the current situation.

"We've been set up," they said together.

"And locked up too," Cindy added. "If this lab doesn't have a back door as the other one."

"Of all possible…" Jimmy spat in frustration, practically throwing the microwave onto the floor. "To do something so juvenile! And my own mother no less!"

"Your mother?"

"She asked to bring the incubator for us to have strawberries for dessert. So what are you doing here?"

"I was invited to your birthday party," Cindy replied evenly, but the first sparks of nervousness started to creep up her spine. They were alone in a closed environment and the whole night no less!

She tilted down and scooped her things from the floor, handing him the card to prove her point.

"And you fell for this?" Jimmy asked, frowning. "It is obviously fake. It is the card I sent to Libby ten years ago. And this isn't even my handwriting!"

"Well, a girl can hope, can't she?" Cindy replied with a careless shrug which was only for show. Showing weaknesses was against Cindy Vortex's code. Even if she knew that acting like that was the reason of her constant conflicts with Jimmy, she couldn't be any other way. And she wanted for the things to get better? '_Dream on, girl_. _So what am I doing here then?_'

She walked towards the worn down coach that was almost the only furniture in the room and sat down. When she didn't hear any movement from Jimmy she turned to catch him staring at her legs. "What?"

"You are wearing a skirt _and_ heels."

Cindy unconsciously pulled down her knee length skirt. "So what?" she asked defensively. "I manage to control the movements well, and the line isn't noticeable with right stockings."

"Yeah, well. You were always the one to overcome all hardships," Jimmy remarked distantly. "So what are we going to do till we are released from here?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Well, you were always the genius to come up with solutions to all the problems," Cindy stated her face serious, but her eyes were dancing with laughter on the old joke. "Have another brain blast or something."

"Why did you left without saying good bye?"

Cindy almost jumped because of the drastic topic change. She turned to Jimmy to check if she heard him right, but he was gazing at the wall in front of him, clearly taken back through time, to the last days of his childhood, the days he left that small lab for good.

"I was afraid," Cindy replied softly, looking at the floor.

"Cindy Vortex – afraid? That's a first," Jimmy commented with a bitter chuckle.

"I am at times. About serious things."

"Strange. I thought you were the only one serious in our group."

"What about you?"

"Well, since everything I created malfunctioned constantly, you know the answer to that question."

Cindy smiled at the memories. Those days were certainly full of fun and unseriousness. "You were only a _boy_ genius, it was normal."

"But _you_ didn't think so. Criticized me on every opportunity," Jimmy added with a smirk.

"You know that I was only jealous of your accomplishments."

"So you finally admit it?"

"Oh common! Stop looking so full of yourself! You knew it all along!"

"I didn't actually," he confessed. "I only assumed, because you had your own accomplishments equal and even beyond mine."

"So you finally admit it?" Cindy asked, throwing his words back.

"Well, that happened long ago. When I diagnosed myself with the worst illness in the universe."

"What could be that dreadful?"

"Love of course."

Cindy was pleasantly surprised at the lack of bitterness and anger that was usually present when he talked about love, even if he did call it a disease. "What do you mean by 'diagnosed'?"

"Well, I think I was about twelve and a half. To sum it up, I started to lose my mind. My thoughts and most importantly dreams were full of you instead of science, which was certainly not a pleasant thing. I tried to block you out, but it was kinda hard since you were everywhere, especially with us being neighbors. I fought with it for quite some time and then…"

"Then?" Cindy breathed out, moving closer with every word and practically sitting on his lap by the end. She recalled his behavior back then. In her opinion he was acting strange whenever he was around her, especially when they were alone, as if he was afraid of her. Always keeping her at a distance, but treating her more as an equal. It was a strange and awkward combination. As if Jimmy was denying himself whatever he wanted to do.

"And then I gave in. Because you are quite hard to ignore. You know the day before you left I was planning to ask you out to the school dance, but I chickened out and decided to try on the next day. But you'd already left."

'_He wanted to ask me to the dance!_' Cindy thought with glee. "You said it in the present tense."

"What?"

"'You _are_ hard to ignore'. Does it mean that it is the same now as it was then?"

"Well… It's obvious that…" Jimmy muttered, moving away from her till the other side of the coach, but when he reached the end he had nowhere to run anymore.

Cindy let him retreat. The situation started to spin off its previous angle. She was confused by Jimmy's allusions and half-truths. She decided to change the topic to stabilize the conversation. "You know, I always wondered about Aurora. She had a body of a mature woman, and when I saw the video Libby gave me I saw that it was identical to mine. How could you know how I will look after five years at least?"

"The same way I gave Aurora your face."

"But your subconscious remembered me as a fourteen-year-old."

"There was another memory. I can't even imagine how it remained in my mind with all the negative emotions surrounding it. Must've been from shock."

Cindy waited for explanation but none came. "Are you going to continue?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Woman's curiosity," Cindy answered as if it explained everything.

"Well, the guys and I travelled to the future once and I saw… you there. And simply remembered how you looked."

"And what was I doing there?" Cindy probed, seeing as Jimmy was getting uncomfortable by the second. What could possibly shock him so hard?

"You just were there."

"Was your grownup version there too?"

"Well yes."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What was going on?"

"We were arguing as usual."

"Ah," Cindy sighed, disappointed by the anticlimactic truth. "So why were you shocked?"

"You don't want to know," Jimmy said with so much dread as if he saw the end of the world.

"Okay, it's your future." Cindy looked at the bare walls. "Is there a heater around here? Because I doubt we will get through the night if the temperature drops even more."

"It's summer, Cindy. Why would you need a heater?"

"Because we are at the basement and because I have only a thin cocktail dress on me."

"I'll check the generator, maybe it still works," Jimmy threw, bolting from the coach and disappearing into the darkness.

'_What's with him? He ran as if all this time he searched for the opportunity to leave me._'

The humming noise announced that the generator was still operational. Several minutes later Jimmy reappeared with a worn mattress which he deposited onto the floor. "Some of my things are still here. I'll bring another one right away. There are no sheets, but a couple of pillows can be arranged."

"What experiments could you possibly be doing on mattresses?" Cindy asked his retreating back. The material was rough and itchy, but it was far better than the old coach that could break any moment.

"I didn't. I had a bed down here. Where do you want it?"

"Right here will be alright," Cindy replied, pointing at the space right beside the first mattress.

"Are you sure?"

'_What's with the hesitation? Is he asking me or himself?_' "Of course. I don't snore."

"Okay." Jimmy vanished once again to return with two pillows and _one_ blanket. "Unfortunately, there are no more blankets. I only needed one."

Cindy sighed in exasperation. The situation resembled some pathetic romance novel with every passing minute. And if she knew Libby the whole 'bed' arrangement was part of the set up, or maybe not, since Jimmy really didn't need more bed attributes for one person. What else could happen? An earthquake that pushes them together and down onto the 'bed'? '_Stay focused, Cindy. Don't wish for a miracle. They never happen._'

Miraculously or not, the lamp that was hanging above the coach and was the only source of light, flickered and went out.

"Blasted Neptune, the heater must've taken all generator's energy. Stay put, I'll check it out."

Cindy couldn't but comply. She went down and found the edge of one of the mattresses. Quickly discarding the shoes, she climbed under the blanket.

The silence was broken by skirr of metal and the moonlight illuminated their makeshift bed.

"Whoa!" Cindy breathed out, looking up at the opening in the roof five meters above her.

"I didn't check the astronomical calendar today, and I doubt any meteor shower is coming, but the stars will provide enough light."

"With all the studies I forgot how beautiful the night sky could be," Cindy said in a distant voice, gazing up at the sky that was so far yet so close.

"Are you already working at Tom's lab?"

"No, I am taking a break. I am starting from October."

"It's a good start for your career."

Cindy turned to the right to check if her ears weren't deceiving her. Jimmy was sitting, his long legs outstretched, looking relaxed, but his tone was empty with sad notes interlaced with encouraging words.

"Are you going to continue your work for NASA?"

"Don't know yet. It is forbidden to stay in space for so long. I am thinking about returning to teaching for some time."

"Are you going to find a new assistant?"

"Don't know either. I'll try to expend Aurora's capabilities, but…"

They knew where the conversation was going so both decided not to go any further. The stars twinkled above showing that the universe was at peace, but two people just couldn't archive one.

"I am going to sleep," Cindy finally declared, getting under the blanket.

"Good night."

Cindy got as comfortable as was possible in a cocktail dress on an old mattress, but kept researching the man beside her. He looked troubled, restless. Was it because of the assistant's absence? Or was something bigger on his plate? And he will never ask her for help, because it was a taboo of their relationship, which of course was very silly, but Jimmy couldn't be a genius in everything. Was that even possible?

"I am sorry," he said out of blue.

"For what?"

"I thought you were asleep."

"So I gathered. So why are you apologizing?"

"For dragging you into this situation."

"How is it your fault? It was me who fell for obviously fake card. You were only having a birthday party with your parents and friends. Happy birthday, by the way."

"Twenty four, hah? And life is already dull."

"Oh don't start this 'it is pointless to live since I created my greatest invention already' routine!" Cindy flared, sitting up.

"You will never understand-" Jimmy began, but stopped mid sentence and swiftly turned away from her.

"What?" a slight draft passed through the room and Cindy shivered from unexpectedly strong feeling of cool air on her skin. '_Wait a minute…_' She glanced down to discover that while she was tossing, a strap of her dress fell to reveal half of her bra, which in turn wasn't covering much either. Any other girl would've screeched and ran for covers, but Cindy was a completely different case. "I think, I'll take the dress off completely, otherwise it can tangle around me and-"

"You will do no such thing!" Jimmy barked, putting between him and her at least five meters in less than five seconds. "Don't even think about it!" he outright begged, turning around not to see her.

"Why? It didn't bother you while we were on the beach. Why should it now?" Cindy had a vague idea, she desperately hoped to be true. Could her present be no longer needed?

"Because I took precautions! I had had to take the serum three times since you became my assistant. Even if we rarely met face to face, it seemed you were always around with that scent of wild roses _everywhere_!"

"You could've told me to not use it anymore if it distracted you so much," Cindy remarked with a smirk. A little triumph but one nevertheless.

"I am used to perfume scents in the lab. It's just… Aurora's perfume was never that daring. In the end she still didn't manage to take your place."

"Didn't you say that _I_ would never manage to be as good as her?"

"Aurora was perfect, but perfection can be not enough at times. I made Aurora as a wise, strong, independent woman and since she was obedient she never challenged me in any aspect of life. And you are an annoying, screaming bitch that not only demands respect but fights for it, and in the end usually receives it. Genii usually don't doubt themselves, but you always made me doubt my knowledge. Aurora never questioned my authority, so the science became mostly routine. One project after another. And then you came with your research idea… and turned time backwards."

"I want to apply for the job."

"Don't you have one?"

"With the replica gone, the original must finally take the place that is rightfully hers."

"You don't understand what you are talking about-" Jimmy protested, finally turning around to emphasize his point, but the words died on his lips. "You took the dress off," he rasped out, gaping at Cindy's body the beauty of which was accented by the moonlight and a perfect sexy pose.

"Why so surprised, it was you who call me daring. Come back to bed, James, and I'll show you what a screaming bitch I can be."

"Oh really?" James drawled with that special spark in his eyes that shone even in the dark. That same spark that usually led to another ingenious discovery. But this time they were together to see it through.

….

"James?"

"Hm?"

"Were you asleep already? Did I tire you out?" Cindy asked impishly, drawing circles on his bare chest where her head currently resided.

"As if."

"I won't bruise your man's ego. There is no gain for me in it. I was serious a while back."

"Meaning?"

"I want to take Aurora's place. In all aspects."

"That's impossible."

"I can try. I want to be your secretary, lab assistant, interior decorator, stylist, entourage and… your wife."

"Isn't it usually the other way around? The man is the one to propose."

"I am taking my chances since you isn't able to rationalize things right now."

"So you are basically seducing me into marriage."

"Well, I can lay out the options for you," Cindy began seriously, "If you marry me than you get your ideal girl whom you fantasized about since childhood and a perfect assistant who knows how everything in your lab works. Not to mention, someone who can argue with you non-stop and point out your mistakes with no shame. And if you get frustrated or anxious you can relieve the tension right on one of the lab tables, I was eyeing the one in the greenhouse for quite some time- whoof!"

"Now you are the one to rationalize things," James hushed huskily, rolling them over. "Your last argument seems to be very weighty."

"You've got to be kidding me," Cindy breathed out, gazing into his eyes with dilated pupils. Pure passion and all for her. "Where are your genius brains?"

"I lose my mind wherever you are concerned. I am only a man after all."

"Good," Cindy said, embracing him to liquidate the distance between them.

…..

"I can't believe this! Why oh why did I enter this university? Whenever a professor is ill, nobody cancels the lecture!"

"Hm?"

"Are you even listening, Alice? Do you ever get your nose out of a book?"

"You were saying something about lectures that are not cancelled. So what is so special about this fact?"

"Haven't you heard? This is the major gossip of this university! The replacement professor and his assistant, who can conduct any lecture on any subject! Haven't you heard anything about them?"

"Not in particular."

"This is the most amazing people I've ever seen. There is like some mental connection between them!"

"Oh please, there is no such thing, Martha. You've been reading too many sci-fi novels."

They entered the auditorium that was already almost full and took their seats. A little while later appeared a young professor with a blond woman accompanying him. The lecture began with no further ado. The lecture in itself was quite interesting, but even more interesting was the way of communication between the professor and his assistant – no words were said; the moment he stretched out his hand, he was instantly given what was needed. And concluding from the small smile the professor responded with, showing his gratitude, no mistakes were made.

"Who is that?" Alice asked amazed. She'd never seen two people, who liked to work together so much. They were obviously having a lot of fun from the process.

"The Neutrons."

"But they don't look at all like brother and sister!"

"Stupid! They are husband and wife!"

**A/N: That's all folks. I am not very happy with the ending, but so it is like it is. I would like to thank everybody who reviewed and favorited the story in all possible ways. I anyone has some questions or thoughts about the story, feel free to PM me.**

**Love to you all,**

**Lady Arabella Malfoy**


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